Sirius Black, My One True Love
by Waddiwassi27
Summary: Let me tell you, these bloody wizards, don't have a fricking clue. You would think, with them being the all singing, all dancing lords of magic and all that jazz...there would be at least a smidgen of information about traveling through universes. WIP
1. I think you'll find that I'm Sirius!

CHAPTER ONE

There were few things that pissed me off...I mean really pissed me off, and I have to say, that waking up; after being comatose for almost a week, only to find that I was, in actuality, stuck in an alternate universe, was definitely one of those things. Especially, when Sirius Black was an inhabitant of aforementioned universe. Don't get me wrong here- I have nothing against Black or his little delinquent posse that go by the name 'the Marauders', but seriously, the guys a freaking moron. He walks around, like he owns the bloody place, acts like god's damn gift and lets girls...and the occasional male, drool all over him! Or the fact that he periodically sleeps with girls, only to break their hearts the next morning. I, more than anyone, know how cool he's meant to be...I mean the books practically glorify him as this rebel, devil-may-care attitude that charms the pants of everyone... but I will tell you now; psycho though I may be, at least I have an ounce of dignity. I can see past the good looks and touchably soft hair...yes the man is even more beautiful than Aphrodite herself...but I see past that...and his smooth charm.

Yes, I see past it all, and into the dark, murky waters that is Sirius Orion Black's soul. He is positively moronic. Every single moment of life is like a game to him. He's restless unless he's pushing some poor, innocent first year into the black lake...or...or throwing textbooks at Lily Evans, or hexing Slytherins...OR- and this is a very big or- annoying the living daylights out of me! I doubt he even knows my name...but boy does he get under my skin. Like how he sits there in charms, swapping the lids of bottles of ink...so that whenever his latest victim goes to write with the black ink, they end up with something ridiculous like fluorescent yellow. And do they swear at him? Do they throw giant peas at him? Do they even look mildly peeved off? No. They laugh. They laugh like it's the funniest damn thing since the damn, freaking platypus! And there's more...he does this weird swishy thing with his hair. I always give him my dirtiest you-look-like-a-piece-of-crap look, but secretly, I want to ask him which conditioner he uses. (When I said I had an ounce of dignity...I meant a very small ounce.) But there is something that annoys me even more than his ink bottle misdeeds and swanky hair; and it's the fact that in eighteen years, he is going to die at the hand of his cousin, for his best friend, his godson, the world and for the greater good.

Ultimately, the world's biggest arse... is good person.

Perhaps I should start somewhere more...well, let's just start at the beginning and hope you catch on. My name is Adelaide Petrova (technically it's Adelaide Belikovia- but I have always held a firm stance against technicalities. ) and I am 17 year old spy...well actually, I'm a professor at Oxford University (I am something akin to a genius- not to sound arrogant though.), but I've recently tried my hand at the espionage business. It turns out, I'm pretty damn good at it...asides from randomly entering into wedlock with Russian drug lords...killing said drug lord and accidently setting fire to the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre, that is. But seriously- that was an accident. I said sorry afterwards; and I had every intention of paying for the damage- that was until the Russian secret service chased me down and tried to torture information out of me...Anyhow, long story short, I ended up hibernating underground for a while, only to wake up at...Hogwarts, with a worried looking Albus Dumbledore peering over my bed. It was surreal to say the least.

So fast-forward a little bit, to now...which is me sitting in the library, trying to find out about inter-universal travelling. Let me tell you, these bloody wizards, don't have a fricking clue. You would think, with them being the all singing, all dancing lords of magic and all that jazz...there would be at least a smidgen of information about travelling through universes. Why the hell could I not have been stuck in Doctor Who- The Doctor would see me back to my own world...AND, I would have been able to go in the TARDIS. How cool would that be? I'd be like the only person to ever walk in and not be...'it's bigger on the inside'. I'd just cut to the chase and be all 'Yo, Doctor, let's go meet the Neanderthals' or something. As you can see, I am deviating somewhat from the point. Anyhow, but noooo...I had to be stuck in pre-Harry Potter world, where I am sat in the library trying to figure out how to get home. This was just suckish to the extremes.

"You realise, I hope, that you have been reading the same page, upside down for the last hour." A voice drawled in a monotone. I looked up to meet a pair of cold, black eyes.

"Sev! What brings you to my neck of the woods, old buddy old pal?" I gush brightly. You see, I'm going for a disconcert-them-and-then-run-away tactic. I know that he would become a good-guy...but he really freaked me out. Guys in general freaked me out.

The greasy haired teen looked mildly scared at this. My plan was working- hell; of course it was working...it was _my_ plan, after all. On that note, I stood swiftly, and made like a banana and split- only to walk straight into a solid, very well toned, chest. Unfortunately, this godly chest, happened to belong to none other than, Sirius Black.

"Watch where you're going you retar-_hello_, beautiful. Where have you been hiding?" I met his swirling grey eyes with disdain.

"Sorry, Black." I made to leave, but he grabbed onto my arms, breathing onto my neck. His hot breathe made me slightly woozy. Had I been less arrogant and big-headed, I would have been on my hands and knees, begging him to snog me senseless. Luckily for me though, my ego was more than just inflated. "Seriously dude, let go of me."

"Or what?" he purred, in what I assumed was his seductive voice. The hungry look in his eyes sent warning bells through me...and for a moment I felt panic-stricken. A million memories flittered before my minds eye. I forced them all back, bringing myself back into the here and now.

I grinned.

"Or I will sing." I replied coyly, bringing a mischievous glint in both of our eyes. Although mine, was for a slightly different reason.

"Darling, you can sing for me anytime." He whispered, groping my side. _We were in public place for Pete's sake!_ I let out a little giggle, before unleashing my wrath.

"Solar plexus...Instep...Nose ...and...Groin." I revelled in his pain as I attacked his four most vulnerable body parts, for once grateful that my brother Nikolai had taken me to see Miss Congeniality somewhere on the region of ten times. God, I loved that film!

"What the fuck!" I turned to see Black's little marauding posse turn up just in time to see me fist him in the balls.

"And _that_, Black is what you get, when you mess with me; I kick your sorry arse, Sandra B style!" With that I ran off, completely forgetting about my book that now lay discarded at Black's crumpled form.

When I got back to my dorm, I found that everyone, apart from Lily Evans, the Head Girl, were sleeping. I looked at my watch, thinking it was odd how everyone was already asleep. It was only six.

"Black put sleeping potions in their pumpkin juice- I had to drag them all the way from the common room." The red head answered my silent question, with a hint of annoyance. It seemed the Gryffindor princess was feeling temperamental today.

"Well, I suppose, if I really gave a rat's arse, that fact would make me feel a bit better about having just decked the crap out of Wonder Boy just now." I flopped onto my bed, pulling out my favourite Jane Austen book; Pride and Prejudice.

"You did what?" Lily asked me, looking thoroughly confused. I sighed impatiently- no one had any idea what I was saying most of the time in this place.

"I beat up Black."

"Really?" she perked up considerably at this point. Apparently, she too got a rise out of Sirius Black's misfortune.

"Really. The reject was trying it on with me, so I opened up a can of whoop ass." Damn, how I love 'The Water Boy.'

"You're so funny...I think." She grinned, inviting herself over to my bed.

"Oh yes...I am a fountain of witticisms and generally pleasant jokes. Have I told you the one about the proton and the neutron?" I said in a matter of fact way.

"You know what protons and neutrons are?" she seemed shocked.

"Yes...who doesn't? Ahhh...we're in Hogwarts...don't worry, it all makes sense to me now. Anyway, this neutron walked into a bar, and he said to the barman...'how much for a pint?' and the barman replied... 'For you...no charge!'" Lily just stared at me for a moment. And then, before I knew it, we were both rolling around on my bed laughing like lunatics.

"You are... completely, and utterly... of your trolley!" she managed to wheeze in between her hysterical laughs.

"I don't believe I ever had a trolley, dear." I smiled, enjoying the first proper bit of human company I had had in almost a year- not including soirees with my now deceased Russian drug lord of a husband.

"So, you beat up Black? It's a shame you didn't take care of Potter whilst you were at it!" she laughed, tilting her head back slightly.

"You know, you really shouldn't be so cruel to the boy, Evans." I smiled, knowingly.

"I shouldn't, but I am!" she retorted cheekily. "And call me Lily..." she paused, looking at me expectantly.

"Oh...it's Adelaide." She stuck her hand out to me. I hesitated slightly before taking it. She beamed up at me.

"It's nice to meet you Adelaide."

"You t-"

"Mummy...I want to be panda too..." We both turned to see Marlene, Lily's very bitchy friend drool all over her pillow. For the second time, we burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

-.- Sirius P.O.V

"SHUT UP MOONY! IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Sirius roared at his friend, Remus, who was sat at a desk under the pretence of finishing his potions homework. No one however, was fooled by the ruse. He was, in actuality, currently laughing his head off about Sirius' earlier attack.

"You're...right...I-I'm...sorry!" Remus laughed so hard he fell of his chair. Peter, the ever faithful serving type, rushed to his aid.

"Why did she attack you like that?" James spoke this time, running a hand through his wild hair.

"I don't know, do I! If I knew that, I'd have fixed it by now and would probably be off in a broom cupboard somewhere with her, snogging her face off. Blimey."

"Maybe, you've met your match." Remus, who had now calmed down, added. Now it was Sirius' and James' turn to laugh.

"Met...met my m-match!"

"What have you been putting on your cornflakes, Moony?" James chuckled.

"Well then, why did she attack you, if not because she genuinely doesn't like you? AND...just who is she. None of us have the foggiest as to who she is." The laughter came to an abrupt halt.

"She doesn't like me? That's impossible. And I don't need to know who she is...she just needs to know who I am." Sirius said flippantly.

"Maybe she's playing hard to get?" Peter piped in.

"Yeah...extremely hard to get."

"As if." Sirius snorted, sitting back in his chair and taking a swig of butterbeer.

"Just give it up, now Pads- she's, dare I say it, out of your league." There was another round of laughter at this.

"Moony, you little sceptic, care to make this more interesting?" Sirius waggled his eyebrows playfully.

"You mean place bets?" Peter asked excitedly. "I bet 50 big ones that Sirius screws her."

"I put 50 big ones in that she falls for him." James chimed in.

"Sirius! This is ridiculous- you don't even know her name...or what house she's in! Not to mention the fact that the whole idea is morally wrong on several levels!"

"Oh hush up, Remus. It looks like it's my lucky day boys." Sirius pointed to the stairway, as two girls made their way down into the common room.

-.- Adelaide P.O.V

"Okay...so there's a beaker and a graduated cylinder. The beaker says to the cylinder 'you may be graduated...but...but I have more d-degrees than you!'" Lily burst into a wave of fitful laughter at my next joke.

"Where do you get these jokes from?"

"Out of this world...literally!" Lily just laughed, not fully understanding my meaning.

"Oh...what are you lot doing here?" I followed Lily's gaze to the centre of the common room, stood Black and Potter. Remus and Peter were sat at one of the round tables, and all of them were staring at us.

"Evans who's your frien-" Black began, with a cheeky grin.

"Lilyflower! You're looking ravishing tonight! How are you? Fancy coming to dinner with us?" James cut across Black, and rushed forwards. He took Lily's right hand and placed a delicate kiss on it. He gave her a devilishly handsome grin. For a moment, it looked like Lily was going to smile, but;

SMACK!

"Touch me again, Potter and I'll break your fingers of one by one!" she hissed and proceeded to call him a myriad of offensive terms.

"Tisk, Tisk Evans. Haven't you ever heard the saying; stick and stones may break my bones by words will never hurt me." Black floated towards us and shot me a pervy look.

"Really? I beg to differ." I smiled sweetly.

"Should we test that theory, love? Give me your best shot." Black drawled- his pathetic attempt at sophistication I would assume.

"Okay." I replied nonchalantly. This bitch was going down. In an instant I had my wand up. "Furnunculus!" In a matter of seconds a rash of painful boils erupted all over Black's face. He let out an almighty roar, whilst the marauders gawped at me in awe. Lily, on the other hand, was doubled over clutching her sides, laughing like a maniac.

"W-why h-have I-I...n-ever s-spoken to you-u b-before n...now?" the red head wheezed. I shot her a grin before patting Black on the head, condescendingly of course.

"Ahh...It would seem you were wrong." With that, I turned on my heel and walked swiftly to the door, Lily, following close behind me, still giggling.

-.- Sirius P.O.V

"I'm revising my bet." Peter declared after James and Remus had finally figured out the counter curse to Adelaide's display of excellent wandmanship and general ownage.

"I told you she was out of your league!"

"No she isn't, Moony- she's just a handful." Sirius defended himself.

"I take back my bet too." James muttered from one of the squashy sofas near the fireplace. "I think Moony was right. She's out of your league." Sirius looked dejected at this.

"Yeah, and my name is Bob!"

"No it's not. It's Sirius." Peter said aloud sporting a rather confused expression. James and Remus laughed, whilst Sirius whacked him round the head, impatiently.

"OWW!" the mousy boy muttered, nursing a forming bruise of his head.

"I bet you all a hundred Galleons apiece that I can get her to fall for me by the end of the year." The others stared at Sirius in awe.

"I'll take you up on that...easy money sounds good to me." James chuckled. Peter, and surprisingly, Remus, followed suit and agreed to the bet.

"I thought you were against all this betting business, Moons?"

"I was, James, but now I see that no way in hell is he going to actually pull this off!" the young werewolf replied mischievously. "But I'm serious, don't go and do anything stupid, Pads."

"I think you'll find that I'm _Sirius_!" Said Sirius, drawing groans from the others. "C'mon let's go eat...plus I need to find out my new girlfriends name!"


	2. This was not good

Hello, I thought that I should just introduce myself. I am Waddiwassi27- :D I live in the UK and am currently studying my A-Levels. I write fanfiction in my spare time as a way to relax and just unwind and escape my homework for just a little while longer. So yeah...that's me...ish. I'm not good at this whole introducing business.

Anyhow, a big shout out to all the cool kids who either reviewed or added this story to their alerts- it is muchly appreciated :D Erm...I do not own any HP related characters, plots etc that Rowling made...

Also, please take the time to R&R as it would make me really happy and I would give you lot's of gummy bears and chocolate.

CHAPTER TWO

Adelaide P.O.V

I had had a pretty fun dinner with Eva- no Lily. She was funny, smart and sane, which was a change. I blew her away with my jokes _of course,_ and we spent the evening talking about insignificant little titbits. In many ways she reminded me of Nikolai...except she didn't threaten to incapacitate/castrate/incinerate any male who so much as looked my way. In fact, she was the first female who I was conversing with just for the laughs. I felt a pang of grief wash through me. I missed Nikolai...terribly.

"You know, I feel kind of bad for letting Marlene and the others sleep through dinner. You can count on it that they'll be prissy about it in the morning." Lily yawned as we walked down a rather secluded corridor. "Well, Marlene will. Until she hears it was Sirius' fault that is...then she'll go and suck up to him and try and get lai-"

"Whoa! Too much info!" I pushed her playfully.

"Girl!" someone shouted, causing both me and Lily to turn around.

"Yuck." I scrunched my nose in disgust.

"What do you want, Black?" my new friend grunted in a very unladylike manner.

"Nothing...I just wanted to return...this." he handed me a heavy back tome. It was my book from earlier- the one that had a distinctly lacked anything about inter-universal travel. I wrinkled my nose in distaste.

"You do that a lot, you know."

"Hmm?" I raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.

"That weird thing with your nose. You know, like this." He imitated me by wrinkling his nose, earning a soft chuckle from myself.

"I suppose so." I sighed and tucked the book under my arm.

"Okay. Let's get going now." Lily said, reminding me of her existence. I had completely forgotten about her, which I found odd. _Friends don't forget about each other do they?_ I shook of the feeling and turned to Lily.

"Yes, lets." We both turned to leave. "Thanks, Black." I shot him a semi-pleasant smile, which he returned with a grin.

"Call me Sirius!" I heard him shout, just as myself and Lily turned a corner.

"Great, you've attracted...it." Lily muttered darkly. I just burst out laughing.

"...it? You make it seem like he's Satan himself or something."

"He is. So is, Potter." She told me earnestly, making me laugh some more.

"There is going to be a day when you think very...very differently, Lily Evans." I smiled, patting her lightly on her cheek. She looked at me expectantly, but I merely shook my head and kept walking. She would find out, exactly what I meant, in her own sweet time.

The next morning found me sitting alone at the Gryffindor table. It was 6am, yet I was awake, tired and severely grumpy.

"Hello, you." Someone said as I stabbed angrily at a plate loaded with eggs. I didn't even like eggs, but that just propelled my violent forkmanship.

"Good. Morning." I ground out, still mutilating my poor breakfast. Eggs were just so damn annoying.

"So what did your breakfast do to deserve that?" I snapped my head up angrily at this, and was met with the dazzling face of none other than Sirius Black. You have no idea how much I wanted to throw giant peas at him, right there and then_. I wonder if they even _have_ giant peas here?_

"Hello? I asked you a question." He said, poking my arm lightly.

"Don't you know that it's only ever socially acceptable to poke a person on Facebook." He looked at me in confusion. Right, Hogwarts. Alternate Universe. I keep forgetting.

"What's fa-"

"None of your business." I muttered, returning to my eggs, yawning. He said nothing, but sat down beside me. I noticed he was wearing a set of extremely well fitted quidditch robes. He piled eggs, sausages and toast onto his plate and pouring himself some pumpkin juice. For a moment I just stared at him annoyed. There was an entire bloody table, and the only seat he could find was next to me.

"Is there a problem...sorry, I don't know your name." He asked without looking up, though I could see the corners of his mouth were tugging up.

"Yes...the masticating sausage in your mouth, if you must know." He let out a bark like roar of laughter at this.

"Here." He shoved cup of coffee at me. "Get some of that down you...it will help you to wake up." Great, the reject was trying to kill me now.

"No thanks...I'd rather not." I gave the cup a distasteful glance before continuing with my massacre of eggs.

"Suit yourself." I snorted at Black's childish behaviour and stood up. Without a word I marched my genius arse right out of there. It was a shame that we were the only two people there...it would have been nice if someone other than Black had seen my brilliant storm out.

After my little run in with Black, I decided to go to the Library.

"Maybe I can waste more time not finding what I'm looking for!" I muttered angrily to myself, throwing my bag down onto an empty table. This annoyed me...I wasn't usually an angry person- nor did I easily give up. I had come across plenty of problems before; but this world was just taking it out of me. I'd been away from Oxford for over a year. Hell...Russia had taken it out of me. I missed Nikolai, and Nate...and dare I say it, the little spoilt rich kids! I wanted to go home and this was the only way to get there. And that fact sucked. Not to mention the fact that there was practically no information on travelling through different universes either. Thoroughly irked I took a great stack of books from the shelf behind me.

"A load of crap." I muttered after skimming through the contents page of the first of many books piled on my desk. I shoved the tome to one section of the desk and picked a new one.

"Oh look, more crap...crap...even crapper."

"This must be what purgatory feels like!" I exclaimed exasperatedly, sometime later, very close to tearing my own hair out.

"Are you alright, there?" A calm voice asked.

"Positively marvellous." I replied after taking a deep breath. I turned and glared at the newcomer when I heard a noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter. It was Remus Lupin.

"I'm sorry...that wasn't very nice of me. Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked, blushing slightly.

"Unless you can transport me into an alternate reality, no, there is nothing that you can do for me." I was rewarded with a big grin.

"You're a very funny person, you know. And just to let you know...kudos for punching Padfoot in his delicates yesterday. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my entire life!" It was my turn to smile.

"You know what, Mr Lupin...I think I like you."

"So, what are you doing up so early? Forgot to do your homework?"

"Don't be silly. I couldn't sleep." I flicked my wand, sending all the books back to their original places. The fact that he thought _I _had forgotten to do my homework, was a sure indicator that the kid had no idea what I was like.

"I don't think I've ever seen you around- what's your name?" Really? He'd _never _seen me around?

"That's odd. I've been in every single one of your classes for the last seven years." He looked horrified at this. Inwardly, I grinned, revelling in my little prank.

"Really?" he sounded apologetic.

"Nope." I snorted. "Only the last month or so. I'm a transfer student if you will."

"I don't think there's ever been a transfer student before." He smiled lightly, as the light hit his face in soft rays. I traced the scars on his face with my eyes, noting sadly how deep they were.

"My dog is...very energetic." Remus told me nonchalantly. I smiled sadly. This guy was brilliant, and he didn't even know it.

"I always wanted a pet, but I was always too scared I'd forget to feed it and the poor thing would die." He snorted at the last part.

"So, you never did answer my question; what's your name...oh, and what are you doing here so early."

"Adelaide. And books. They remind me of home." I gave him a small smile and left.

I was sat outside Slughorn's room, practicing some spells. Despite being a smart arse and having spent the last four months learning magic at a _very_ accelerated rate, I was only an average levelled witch. But I loved to learn. And learning magic was like nothing I'd ever experienced. It was irritating, unpredictable and simply exhilarating. When I found a way home, I would definitely miss the feel of magic rushing through my veins and through my wand. What I'm saying is, that although I haven't hit the mark yet...it's fun trying.

"Tergeo." I whispered, pointing my want at a patch of dust besides me. My eyebrows knotted together in concentration as the dust vanished instantly. I had learnt the charm- but now I had to learn to do it without concentrating. I repeated the spell again on a different area.

"Adelaide! There you are...where on earth did you get to this morning? I had to put up with these _idiots_ the entire way." I looked up to see Lily ranting, and four marauders. James looked scandalised when his beloved Lily called him and his friends idiots. He was so perfect for Lily it was crazy!

"Sorry...I got up early and went to the library. Where are Alice, Marlene and Cassie? They're not still sleeping are they?" Black chuckled at this. Clearly he felt no remorse for his actions. Lily glared at him

"No. They're still having breakfast- to be fair there is still half an hour till lessons start. I was just looking for you."

"And James, insisted that we tag along too." I maintained a blank expression as Sirius spoke, but secretly revelled in his annoyance. Bless James Potter, until the sun goes down!

"We look like geeks...half an hour early for potions..." Peter grumbled as they all sat down around me. I realised I should hate the little git...but right now, looking at him, I saw a socially retarded young boy, who didn't know who he was, where he was going, or even what day it was. It was hard to see the vindictive murderer who would grow up to betray his friends. Just like how it was nigh impossible to see Black as Harry Potter's Godfather. But, to be fair, they weren't those people yet. They were just...well themselves right now.

"So, Moony tells us that you're a transfer. Where did you go to school last?" James asked me wearing a friendly grin.

"Oh-" Oxford had been on the tip of my tongue. It would be a weird if I told them that the last place I went to school was Oxford University and that was when I was fifth teen...even more so if I explained that I had been teaching there for a year too.

"I was home schooled...by a friend of my parents." I repeated the lie I had told Dumbledore during the summer when I had first found myself in this world.

"Really? So how come you come here now, then?" Black asked with a raised eyebrow. He looked mildly suspicious.

"My parents died...It's just me now. So I came here." I replied in a small but confident voice, looking straight into Black's grey eyes. They softened immediately as he gazed back into mine, seeing the truth, or at least the semi truth, in my words. My parents had died...just sixteen years ago. He was such a gullible prick.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to pry." He looked slightly ashamed of himself.

"It's fine."

The next few moments passed in a very uncomfortable manner.

"Well, this is awkward." Remus muttered, laughing nervously. Immediately I put my right hand on top of my left hand, lacing my fingers through each other and moving my thumbs in a circular motion.

"Err...Adelaide, what are you doing?" I looked up to see Lily and the others giving me strange looks.

"It's an awkward turtle, guys."

Seriously, the 70's sucked! These guys didn't even have awkward turtle! The others were diverted from my strange behaviour when we heard loud footsteps rounding the corner.

"Ah! It's so lovely to see such eager students! Come in. Come in." Horace Slughorn boomed, opening the door to him room with a quick wave of the wand. Peter looked thoroughly put out by this.

As we all filed into the room, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sirius assessing me. Suddenly, I felt naked. Subconsciously I wrapped my robes around me tighter. How pathetic was I to be this affected...it had been almost four months now! Again, I was reminded why I hated the guy.

"Sit here, Adelaide." Lily smiled, beckoning me to the front of the classroom.

"I think I'll just sit in my usual seat." I commented in a monotone. She looked a like a lost puppy at this.

"Oh...o-ok." A _really_ lost puppy... alone in a thunder storm.

"I think Marlene would rip my head off if I sat there. And, to be fair, it is her seat." I added, hoping to show her that I wasn't just being anti-social. It worked, thankfully, and I was rewarded with a broad grin.

"Marlene's not that bad...well she is, but I'm sure you'll get along fine." I just snorted. Sometimes, I really hated the fact that I was so advanced in knowledge. The fact that I had already finished University meant that I spent very little time talking to people for the sake of...well talking to them. It was a little awkward for me, even now talking to Lily, let alone Marlene McKinnon. And besides, I had it on very good authority that Marlene just so happened to be a complete and utter bitch. She was thick too, which didn't help her chances at all.

"I'm afraid, Mr Black, Mr Potter, that I am going to have to split you both up." The walrus was now at his desk, tinkering about with some, one or other potion. Both James and Black groaned. Seriously...could they not even go one hour without holding each other's hands?

"Professor! If this is about Snive- I mean Snape's robes catching on fire- I swear it was an accident. It was just a bad aim-" James said, earning himself a contemptuous look from Lily.

"Now, I'm sure it was, m'boy...however, I simply cannot ignore the lack of work being produced by yourself and Mr Black. That is why; I have no choice but to separate you. James-you can work with Lily here, and Sirius...you can work with Miss Petrova." The potions master boomed. Black and James looked over the moon, whilst Lily let out a pained howl, as though someone had just lobbed her over the head with a cricket bat. Although I knew I shouldn't, I couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. She glared at me.

"I-I'm sorry...but you look like a duck!" I wheezed. She was still glaring at me, but I swore I saw the corners of her mouth twitch.

"Well fine. You have fun with, Black, then." This shut me up immediately. If I wasn't so appalled by the fact that my partner for the foreseeable future was my arch nemesis, I would have praised Lily on her ability to hit me at my weakest point. She could be an evil mastermind if she so wished. I doubt she did though...she was much too pure; despite her tenacious temper.

"We're not that bad, Lilyflower!" James suddenly exclaimed, sitting down excitedly next to 'Lilyflower.' The red head swatted at James until he was perched as far away from her as possible.

"Just because I'm being forced to..._work with you_, does not mean I like you...in ANY shape or form." This, rather loud, admission from Lily startled a students who were now making their way into the class. I snorted, feeling only mildly annoyed as Sirius took his place beside me.

"You're doing it wrong." Black drawled as I painstakingly tried to cut a dragon foot. Unfortunately it kept slipping from my hold. Already, I had had to retrieve it from the floor four times.

"Shut up!" I snapped, determined to get it right. Black just chuckled at me in his infuriating manner.

"You need to squash it and then cut." He informed me after another ten minutes of failure to complete the task on my part. I glared at him and did as he said. At first a thick, gooey tar like substance oozed from the foot, then as I went to cut it, my small silver knife sliced through it cleanly. "Look at that...it worked." Black smirked, his voice laced with sarcasm and superiority. In a moment of anger, I grabbed a handful of the thick black stuff oozing all over the place and wiped it slowly and deliberately all over his face. I adopted his earlier smirk as he let put something akin to a girlish squeal.

"That's disgusting!" he roared in indignation as I wiped my hands on his robe clad chest, smearing the liquid on him further.

"What on earth is going on...oh dear!" The potions master exclaimed, as he strolled towards our desk. "Scourifigy." He waved his wand and within seconds my handy work was destroyed. Silly old codger...he should have left it as it was.

"There, good as new. Lovely potion- It is a wonder how excellently you work when separated from Mr Potter." He added, peering over our cauldron.

"You're a bloody nutcase!" Black groaned, resting his head against the desk once Slughorn was gone. The little ding-bat was going to let me finish the potion on my own.

"I might be...but I am not finishing this-" I motioned towards our potion "-alone. Now get up you lazy git!" I prodded him sharply with the nearest thing I could find.

"OWWWW!" He let out an ear-splitting shriek. It turned out; the nearest thing to me had been a knife. I just stabbed him..._this was not good_.

...

Okay, so what did you guys thing? Good, bad? Terrible?

What do you think will happen next and are there any characters that you especially like or dislike?

Please R&R


	3. These goddamn tears

Hello peeps. How is everyone? Chapter Three! How exciting...I hope it is anyway! I had fun writing this one- it's all a bit overdramatic, but hey this is a fan fic...we need a little bit of drama in our lives. :D Please remember to review as Reviews, especially the good ones, make me very very happy.

A very special shout out to all the cool kids who took the time to review the last chapter- I'm glad people seem to be enjoying my rubbish and I hope you will continue to do so.

...Enough waffle from me now, and enjoy the next chapter.

CHAPTER THREE

"Holy shit...there's blood EVERYWHERE!" That was James...really the guy could be such a dunderhead sometimes.

"No shit! She just STABBED ME!" And Black could be a drama queen. Though, to be fair, I had just stabbed him. I seriously had to stop getting myself into these situations. By now of course, the whole class was gathered around us, squeaking and generally making a hubbub. A very unnecessary hubbub, might I add. From my peripheral vision, I could see Slughorn hyperventilating in the corner. I shook my head sadly. The man was an educator, for the love of all that is good in the world- he should be doing something proactive. _Or_ at least creating some sort of pretence of calm.

"OH MY GOD! Sirius is going to die!" some blonde screamed. I threw my pencil case at her. It was Marlene. She looked thoroughly pissed.

"Shut up, you bimbo. Right...we need air! Everyone move out of the way." The authority in my voice compelled them to listen.

"Someone get Madame Pomfrey." Some kid whose name I didn't know scampered off out of the room to fetch the Nurse.

"Right...Black, don't move your arm, but I want you to slowly stand up, ok." Black looked very pale as I said this, but he did as he was told. With every move he made, pain was etched into his handsome features. _Handsome? _

"Ok...now I want you to kneel down. Okay?" he nodded and knelt. I took of my cloak and tore it using my teeth. It took some effort, but I got there in the end. Carefully, with an expert hand, I wrapped the cloth around the knife that was protruding from his arm. I held it firmly in place, ignoring his winces. All the while, James was muttering reassurances to his best friend that he wouldn't die. This did not seem to be helping Black at all.

"Professor...do you have any essence of dittany?" I asked, still holding onto the now sodden piece of cloth. My hands were stained with red. I needed to stop this bleeding very soon or he'd pass out.

"Yes. Give me a moment." He suddenly moved into action and waddled over to his private supply cupboard. The matron still hadn't arrived. It was no matter, I was more that qualified to deal with such an injury. I used my left hand to gently stroke Black's arm, hoping it would provide some kind of comfort.

In a few seconds, Slughorn came bustling out of his cupboard again. He handed me a small vial.

"Lily...I need you to get me some more of my robe." She didn't move. Instead, she was staring at me like I was a psycho. Maybe I was...but this was not the time to be deliberating about that. "No...fine. Potter- get me some more robe." James too was not making a move.

"I think we should wait for Madam Pomfrey." He said meekly. I sighed, thoroughly irked.

"There's no time. He'll bleed to death by the time she gets here!" some idiot yelled. If I had another pencil case, I'd chuck it at him.

"No he's not, retard. Right, Black, you're going to have to hold onto this for me. It would seem that the rest of the class have decided this is the best time to start letting their inner twats out." He nodded, and I guided his hand over to where mine was. I positioned his fingers into place and told him to hold on tightly. Working quickly and efficiently, I tore off another section of my robes.

"Move the tips of your fingers just a smidge." I said, carefully wrapping more cloth around the wound.

"What are you going to do?" he asked me, his voice higher than usual.

"It's ok. I need you to hold on real tight, ok? We need to stop the blood loss and heal that sucker up." Ordinarily I wouldn't even consider removing the knife until I had a proper medical kit, but ordinarily, I didn't have magic at my side.

"This is going to sting like a bitch." I told him, causing him to pale even more...which until that moment, I had thought impossible.

"Just be quick." He whispered so only I could hear. He looked very vulnerable.

"Let's get this show on the road then." I muttered, uncorking the phial of dittany. Wrapping my fingers around the knife. "When I tell you to, I want you to move all that cloth of your arm. Can you do that for me?" He gave me a quiet yes.

"It's going to be fine, Sirius. Just trust me and do as I say." I shot him a reassuring smile and tugged with all my might. He screamed.

"NOW!" I yelled and thankfully he hadn't lost his mind in the midst of the pain. It took him less than a second to throw the blood sodden robes to the floor. With lightning speed I dropped the essence of dittany all over the gaping big wound. His reflexes took over and he snapped his arm towards his chest, hissing in pain. It was fine though, the dittany was already doing its job. I could see it seeping into his skin and steaming up. Several people gasped, and one of the Slytherins even fainted. Pussy.

"What's happened? Move out of my way!" The class turned to see Madame Pomfrey bustle into the room, her skirts flailing about behind her. She had a large box of potions and she looked the business. She took one look at the blood that covered both me and Black and immediately set about doing her thing.

"Where's the wound?" she demanded.

"It's healed." I told her quietly, wanting very much to clean myself up. I'd just stabbed someone...wholly by accident of course...but I had stabbed someone. What kind of retard stabs someone by _accident_?

"What do you mean, it's healed?" she snapped looking around at us all.

"It means that we healed it!" I snapped right back at her. I sighed, calming myself down again. "All he needs is a blood replenishing potion, a bit of a cleanup and some rest." I added after a moment, adopting a mellower manner of speech. I was well aware that everyone was gawking at me now.

It had been a month...an entire month, since I had managed to stab, Black, and the whole school hated me for it. I was an outcast...a lonely, smart arse outcast. Just as I always have been. Slughorn however, was hailing me a hero. Technically the bloke was right, but I certainly didn't appreciate the extra attention he was giving me. Anyhow, I'm digressing again. Not only am I an outcast, but now people were going out of their ways to make my life a living hell. For example, just this morning, Marlene McKinnon decided to throw all of my clothes into the black lake. I felt a little like Luna Lovegood admittedly, but I had survived much worse. Dumbledore had given me a long lecture about how 'stabbing people is morally wrong' and given me so many detentions that I rarely had a spare moment to breath. Needless to say, when I tried explaining that the whole thing was an accident, no one believed a word of it. And Lily Evans...well she was doing her damn right best to ignore me. She was, however, spending a lot more time with the marauders and was even getting to the point where she wasn't shouting profanities at James every time he opened his mouth. The Head Boy and Girl were actually quiet chummy these days.

But yes, I am an outcast...a social reject. At least Black was leaving me alone though. Like they say, every cloud has a silver lining.

"Miss Petrova, since you find it prudent to daydream in my class, do you care to explain to me the first Principle of Gamp's Exceptions to elemental transfiguration?" Professor McGonagall brought me out f my reverie. It was a good thing I had read the Harry Potter books inside out.

"You cannot produce food out of thin air." The whole class looked at me in puzzlement. What, had I said something wrong?

"How did you know that?" The stern professor asked me. "We were discussing animagi, not Gamp's law. In fact the witch who came up with the theory showed me a first draft just this morning. I can assure you that no one else even knows what it's about yet."

"Well...isn't it...err...obvious?" I asked, the palms of my hands sweating slightly.

"How so?" McGonagall seemed genuinely interested in my opinion now. I could handle that. I was an intelligent, able minded person. I could discuss theorems with anyone...hell I taught them for a living.

"Well there has to be some exceptions to magic in any form. Otherwise we'd all be immortal...no one would die and we'd become horrifically overcrowded. It's nature's way of evening things out- death I mean. If you have a fish tank with too many fish in it- they'd start killing each other off. You know survival of the fittest and all that jazz. If magic had no limitation, we wouldn't have any limitations. And food...it's a very important aspect of human life. Without it we would die. Food is a source of energy. If we were weak; we wouldn't be able to do any magic. So if you think about it, it makes sense. Why would we be able to create food from nothing, when food is the very thing that allows us to do magic. It would be like saying that I gave birth to my parents." I finished impressively. In short...I'm really good a bullshitting.

"That is a very interesting and unique point of view. I'm sure Hesper would be intrigued by your views." Luckily McGonagall brought it; else I would probably have to add yet another detention to my growing ensemble." As I was saying, there is a difference between Animagi and werewolves- which you should be familiar with from you DADA lessons. Can anyone tell me some of these differences?" Knowing what I did, I saw that she was purposely not meeting Remus Lupin's gaze. If she was a cool kid like me...she'd so be doing an awkward turtle right now.

"_It would be like me giving birth to my parents_ yada yada yada!" Marlene squealed in a way that was so plastic, that we could probably start a hardware container business with her. As she walked her blonde hair bounced in time with her gigantic wiggling but.

"Yeah...and what was all that rubbish about fish? What do _fish_ have to do with transfiguration." A small pixie like girl added. That was Alice Meadows. I could only assume that she would go on to become Alice Longbottom. Damn! It was really hard to hate these people when you knew that they were going to suffer some terrible fait!

"Shhh...guys she right behind you." Lil-Evans nudged her friends, motioning discreetly to me. It was nice to know, that despite her acting like a complete and utter cow, she was still being mildly kind to me. Not that I needed kindness- from her or anyone. I was a lone wolf, baby.

You just imagined me wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket...admit it.

"I don't give a damn. That bitch needs to learn to keep the hell away from us! Who the hell does she think she is...throwing a bloody pencil case at me...as if I needed her germs?" Marlene threw me a filthy glare before continuing. "And she's a complete head case; what on earth could poor Sirius done to make her stab him? Although, if I had that toilet brush hair, I would have a few problems up there too." She pointed to her head, speaking as loudly as she possibly could without shouting. People were staring at me now...a few were even laughing.

God, these people were fickle. Did they really think a bit of name calling would make me break? I was held in a twenty first century Russian torture camp for seven months for crying out loud. I'd been raped and savaged until all that was left of me was a broken shell. I'd been forced to watch Nikolai die, slowly and painfully...and these..._children_ thought I would just kneel over and die because they weren't talking to me. Well, they, _as sure as hell_, had another thing coming to them.

"I might not have the best hair in the world, love, but it could be worse." I pushed into their little group and faced Marlene. "I could look like you, and heaven knows that if that were the case, I'd be seriously considering suicide...or a balaclava, at the very least."

Everyone was silent for a moment. And then it started.

"You whore!"

"How dare you?" people were shouting at me from all different directions.

"I only speak the truth ladies."

"I heard she doesn't have any parents...they probably killed themselves when they realised she was theirs!"Marlene growled, taking a step towards me. This bitch really wanted to die. How...fucking dare she bring up my dead parents. I was going to kill her...right now.

_No. Just be the bigger person. Walk away Alina...walk away._

I was about to walk off- honestly, but then I saw Marlene reaching for my hair. In a split second I had turned and thrust my palm upwards. There was a loud, resounding CRUNCH as her nose broke. She screamed. I grinned. God that felt good.

"You PSCHO!" Alice bellowed at me. "What is your problem? What did she do to you?" the little pixie like girl had tears in her eyes. I didn't even feel remotely guilty. And did the little twerp not hear what that horse faced bitch had just said to me?

"What is it with you and trying to kill people?" I swivelled on the spot and was met with two grey, very provoking eyes.

"Oh do get a life, Black." I muttered, trying to think for a moment. There was blood everywhere. I should probably fix it. _What was that spell?_

"I already have one...that's why I don't feel the need to go round causing fatal injuries!" _Espo? Epsi? Skepso? No...Episkey! _

"Move." I said, shoving Alice and Lily out of the way unceremoniously. I raised my wand to Marlene's nose. She looked positively petrified.

"SHE'S GOING TO KILL HER!" Alice shrieked. It was funny that although she perceived her friend to be in danger, she wasn't lifting a finger to help her.

"Episkey." I muttered. A burst of energy shot through my arm.

"IT'S BURNING! HELP ME!" the blonde cried, somehow managing to grab hold of Sirius in all her agony. He looked a little bit pissed off. Meanwhile, the other students were wither running away from me, or trying to get a better look.

"What is going on here?" I turned to see Dumbledore gliding towards us, parting the students like Moses did the red sea. "Miss McKinnon, what on earth is the matter?" he asked her, patting her kindly on the shoulder.

"She's burning me!" she whimpered.

"Episkey. It's a healing charm, you div." I rolled my eyes at her, now wishing that I hadn't bothered. I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow, waiting for those magic words.

"It's fixed." She murmured, touching her nose hesitantly. Bingo.

"No shit, Sherlock." Was all I could say. People can be so fricking dense.

"Keep that crazy freak away from me." She added, pointing at me. Her voice was low and venomous.

"Mr Black, kindly escort Miss Petrova to my office and wait with her there. I shall take Miss McKinnon to see Madame Pomfrey- although I daresay; Miss Petrova has done a fair job of healing you. Now, off to class everyone!"

We stood there, myself and Black that is, as everyone slowly dispersed, giving me angry looks as they went.

"Why'd you do it?" he asked after a moment.

"Black...kindly keep your big beak out of my business. If I wanted to divulge my personal matters with you, I would have done so long before now." I told him crisply. There were only six people who knew my parents were dead...and Sirius Black was one of them. And whoever told Marlene McKinnon was going to pay.

"My beak wouldn't be anywhere near you if you hadn't stabbed me with a bloody potions knife!" he was getting annoyed now.

"It was an accident, Black. I have already apologised on multiple occasions. If I had seriously wanted to cause you any bodily harm, do you really think I would have done my utmost to heal you afterwards?"

"So...let me get this straight...you accidently stabbed me." I nodded. "Ok...so what's your beef with Marlene?"

"I've never eaten any beef with Marlene in my life...I generally tend to avoid her." With that I made my way to the Dumbledore's office. I hoped that Black would give up and leave me alone after that...but alas for once in his miserable little life, he decided to follow orders.

"It's not true, you know." He said softly, stepping easily back into stride with me.

"What's not true?" I asked. We were now stood outside the stone gargoyles. "Lemon drops." We both filed onto the revolving staircase.

"What she said about your mum and dad. It was harsh and obviously not true. They loved you very much. I'm sure of it." Of course I bloody knew it wasn't true! My parents were killed because some crazy arse dictator thought it would be funny. And how the hell would he know if they loved me? He'd never met them. Hell, I hadn't even met them.

"You don't know what you're talking about." I muttered, as the stairs came to a halt. I swung open the door and plonked myself down at my favourite seat. Black followed me in, giving me a weird smile. I could only assume that he was trying to comfort me.

"Oh it's the _foreigner_." A particularly up himself painting said, spotting me after waking up some time after we'd entered the office.

"Morning Gramps." Sirius grinned, earning himself a glare from the painting.

"You know...Phineas means 'The Nubian', so I don't know here the hell you get off calling me a foreigner. And I was born and brought up in Oxfordshire, England, thank you very much." Phineas snorted and proceeded to call me a cretin.

"Fiend! If I wasn't trapped in a portrait, I'd have your head!" He shrieked after I lobbed a packet of fizzing Whizzbees at him.

"Well, count yourself lucky that you are, 'cause this one is in the habit of stabbing unsuspecting victims." Black added sarcastically.

"You are a disgrace to the house of Black, running around with your blood traitors and mud-"

"Look, sweetheart, considering the fact that you look distinctly inbred, if there's a superior race, _you_ certainly aren't part of it."I drawled enjoying the outraged look on the painting's face. Sirius barked with laughter. He attempted to put a snaking arm around me, but quickly withdrew it to his side when I motioned towards a pair of sharp looking scissors of the Head's desk, wearing a particularly crazed look, if I do say so myself. Instead he settled with watching me.

We had to wait a sometime for Dumbledore to arrive. And it was awkward. Even awkward turtle couldn't do justice to the level of awkwardness in the room. I had my eyes fixed on my fingernails and was acutely aware of Black, and how he was staring at me. I hated it. I wanted to claw at every place that his eyes landed on.

I thought I was going to die of relief when Dumbledore entered the room.

"Mr Black, thank you so much for your help. You are free to go to your next lesson. I've already let Professor Ludworth know that you're going to be late." For a moment, Black looked almost reluctant to leave.

"Professor...Petrova." he nodded politely to me before leaving.

And then it was just me and Dumbledore...fun. Don't get me wrong, the man's brilliant; but I have a feeling he's suspicious of me.

"Miss Petrova. I believe we've already had a conversation about violence in the school." He sat down at his desk, looking at me with his piercing blue eyes.

"Yes, sir. I lost my temper...I realise that it is unacceptable behaviour."

"I can see that you see the wrong in your actions, however, the level of rule breaking you've been doing is outstanding. I cannot see that the board of governors will not want to get involved. And when they do, I am sure they will wish to expel you." His words were soft...but he was judging me. He thought I was an arrogant little girl who thought she was the centre of the universe. I was thoroughly pissed off now.

"Then I'll have no choice but to leave." It wasn't that big a deal. It's not like Hogwarts was my home. It's not like I had any real attachment to the place.

"Don't you wish to remain here?" he asked. Suddenly I felt nauseous. A million memories flashed before my eyes.

_Nikolai...cold, dead and gone. Home...so far away that I could no longer feel it reaching out to me. My skin was hot and burning. There was a baby clinging to me. A scream. I was dying...I knew it. Vladaslav...a loaded gun. Help him. Save him. The smell of burnt skin. My whole body was being tormented by pain. Something heavy on top of me. Violated. Crying. I wouldn't tell them anything. STOP TOUCHING ME! I wanted to go home. I wanted Oxford. Please...someone help me. Green eyes, looking up at me. Daniels. Abandoned. Where is everyone? It's dark...so, so dark. It hurt. I wanted to die. I wanted Nikolai. Nikolai. Oh, my Nikolai. Dead. Gone. Cold. Help me. Love. Save me. "Run Alina. RUN!" I was running. Fast...trying to get away from them. Russia. I was in a chapel. I didn't want to get married. STOP TOUCHING ME! I wanted Nikolai. A baby. Soft skin. Pure. Beautiful. I wanted to go home. I want him to stop. Please stop. I want to go home. Help me. Please help me. Dying. Everywhere. Children. Women. Men. Help them. Help. Help. Now. Do it. Gun. Loaded. Kill. BANG. Sorry. Alone. I want to die. Let me die. Help me. Please. Help me. Help me. Help me. Nikolai. I love you Alina. I love you Alina. Please...stop...Mama. Hope. Laughter. Life. Mama._

_New world. New faces. New life. I want to go home. Home. Nothing left. Home. Bump. _

_Alone. Stronger. Broken. _

_Home._

_I miss you. _

"Adelaide." The headmaster whispered hoarsely. I stood up. Legimency. He had stolen my thoughts.

"I'm sure that's illegal." I snarled, panting.

"My dear child...why didn't you tell me?" his voice was breaking. I looked up to see tears falling from his eyes. My own were dry. I had already cried. No. I was angry. He tried to reach out to me, but I slapped his hand away.

"Just FUCK OF! Stay the hell away from me!" I screamed, running out of the head's office. I wanted to wring the old man's neck. He had violated my thoughts...my mind, without permission. He... It didn't matter. I just needed to get out of that place. I needed to get away.

Who knew how much he'd seen. More than enough I'd wager. Did he know where I was from? _Probably_. I'm sure he saw even the most intimate of details.

"Damn it!" I growled, as I unwittingly stubbed my toe on the side of my bed. I was in my dormitory now, frantically throwing my few possessions into a duffel bag. That job done, I rushed back down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Nowhere. Bugger off."

"Have you been expelled? Padfoot told me about you socking Marlene McKinnon." Sometimes, I really wanted to hit Peter. This was one of those times.

"Leave me alone." I snapped.

"What's wrong?" he asked, patting my shoulder awkwardly. The kid was trying- you had to give him that.

"Igoff worhve duvel...hubme." I grumbled, suddenly losing all my energy. I fell to my knees and began to sob. I had thought I was done with crying. Apparently I wasn't.

_Looks like these goddamn tears will never stop._

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Peter asked me. He sounded a little bit scared to me. I shook my head, wondering why Peter was here. Wasn't he meant to be in lesson? The teacher in me was tempted to give him a good telling of.

But then he did something amazing. He got down on his knees, and he held me. It didn't feel wrong, or dirty or horrible. Just warm. He was whispering something to me. He was telling me that it was ok...that he was there and nothing bad could happen to me now. I wanted to believe him. So much. Someone was telling me that that they were there and that it would be ok. So I let myself go completely. I sobbed to my heart's content, happy to have Peter Pettigrew at my side.

Okay...so what do you guys think? Like it? Hate it? Please leave a review!

Also, a special should out to all of you who have read and reviewed previous chapters...I feel very privileged to have such wonderful readers.

What do you guys think will happen next?

Who are your fav characters so far?

I promise...there will be more of the wonderful Mr Black VERY soon!


	4. Adelaide Petrova was not a criminal

Okay, New Chapter guys. What did you guys thing of the last chapter? Let me know and I hope you enjoy... oowwww...and thanks to all the wonderful folk who R&R! You are all very much appreciated, and feedback is most welcome and even encouraged

CHAPTER FOUR

It was James and Lily who found us there; sitting in the Gryffindor Common room. They both stumbled in through the portrait hole, looking around...for me I realised. They both did a double take. It was embarrassing to say the least. Peter was holding me like if he let go I'd be eaten by a pack of wolves, and I was sobbing into his shoulder like the world was about to end. In a way...mine already had. My eyes were red and swollen, and my face was like a snot fest gone wrong. Or right. Depends on what kind of snot fest you're at. Basically, I looked like a pile of crap. Oh...Bloody hell. I was booing like a baby in Peter Pettigrew's arms. And there were witnesses...witnesses that didn't like me. Maybe they were too scared of me and my psychotic tendencies to spread this around?

I should be so damn lucky.

"Go and get Dumbledore." James told Lily, who immediately ran out of the room.

"James...she's a bit..." Peter didn't have the strength to complete the sentence. I looked up at him. He looked tired. Realising that he was still holding on to me, he let go, giving me another awkward pat.

"Dumbledore says he wants to talk to you." James told me, taking a step towards me.

"Did he send you to find me?" I asked, testing my ability to speak. I was doing ok, so far at least.

"Yeah. He said...he said that he had upset you." The tone of James' voice showed that he thought I was more than just upset. No sooner had he spoken the words, did Lily and Dumbledore burst through the portrait hole. A fresh wave of anger flooded me.

"I thought I told you to keep the fuck away from me." I hissed venomously, flinching at his very precence. Had I not been so furious, James', Peter's and Lily's reactions at how I chose to communicate to the Headmaster would have made me laugh. They both gasped, and looked from Dumbledore to me with gaping mouths.

"I understand that you are angry at what I did. But this was a misunderstanding that can be resol-"

"_Misunderstanding? Misunderstanding?_ It was a misunderstanding when America A bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki...it was a misunderstanding when the Romans crucified Jesus! This...is anything but a fucking _mistake_...you _fucking_ wanker! How _fucking_ dare you...how fucking DARE YOU DO THAT!" I was throwing things at him now. Anything I could find; books, pillows, candlesticks. I wanted him to hurt. How could he do that to me? How could he? My mind was my last haven...the tiny part of me that was still pure, and he had to fucking take that from me too!

"ADELAIDE! STOP IT!" Lily screamed, her face chalk white.

"Professor Dumbledore! What's going on? Why is she doing that?" James demanded, panic lacing his voice. He looked like he was about to attack me, but Dumbledore told the others to stay out of it and not interfere.

"I'm afraid I'm to blame." The old man said after a moment. He raised his wand and performed a non verbal spell. Before I knew it, I was frozen; my arms still half raised.

"Professor...what's going on?" Lily's voice was quiet. She was terrified, I could tell. "Why's she doing that?"

"Because she's scared." He replied. "But she needn't be. Adelaide, I'm going to unfreeze you now. I'm not going to hurt you, but you must promise to sit down and talk to me properly. I can help you. Look to your right if you can do that for me." I complied reluctantly.

Warmth began speeding through my fingertips until my whole body was encased with it and my body was free.

Dumbledore put a hand on my shoulders. I knew it was his way of apologising, but I loathed it.

"Don't touch me." I hissed.

"I'm very sorry, Adelaide." He told me, removing his hand. The other three looked positively lost. "I am very, very sorry."

"Are you happy now?" I asked after a pause. "Are you happy? There's nothing left, anymore."

"You should have told me your predicament. I assure you, I would have done everything in my power to send you home. I still intend to, my dear child." His voice was calm and soothing. I wanted to just die right there. I started crying again.

"I want to go home. I want my brother." I whispered, falling to the floor in a crumpled heap.

"There is no magic that can take you to Nikolai, Adelaide. He's left the world of the living." Dumbledore sat down beside me.

"Then let me die...please kill me." I begged, clinging onto his arm. "Please, let me die. Make it stop." He was crying too. "I didn't tell them anything... I tried to save him...I tried to save him."

"You did more than anyone else could have...or even would have done."

"Please..." I begged again.

"I cannot. It will be painful, but you must learn to live again, my child."

I was afraid he was going to say that. Of course he was going to fucking say that.

I was shaking violently now. Of course I was going to have to find a way to live through all this. Of course.

"Miss Evans, please take Adelaide to Madame Pomfrey and ask her to give her a calming draught. I shall be there shortly."

A pair of shaking arms wrapped around my frame. "Adelaide...come on. Let's go see Madame Pomfrey." Lily tried to help me up, but I shrugged her off. This was embarrassing. Why couldn't I stop crying? Why was a making such a retard of myself?

In an attempt to retain the last of my dignity, if I had any that is, I stood, brushing nonexistent dirt from my robes.

"Here." Peter handed me a handkerchief, which I took gratefully. "I'll come with you." He smiled, lightly touching my hand.

I took a deep breath. I needed to breathe. I needed to calm down. I needed to stop acting like a child.

"I'm fine. I can take myself to the hospital wing...in fact I would prefer it." I didn't wait for anyone's approval; I just got out of there as quickly as I possibly could. I needed some space...

I decided that, in all my self acclaimed brilliance; I didn't need to see Madame Pomfrey. What I needed was fresh air. And, if I hadn't seen firsthand, the effects that smoking has on the lungs, I'd be willing to bet, I'd be puffing one of those deathsticks too. Heavens knows I could do with some drug induced calm. Hmm...maybe I do need to see the matron. I snorted at my own stupidity.

"No pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater... than central air" I muttered as I threw open the doors of the grand entrance. Wind blew my hair into a mad frenzy. I looked like a fricking dog. I grinned. Dogma ruled. It was funny how a little bit of air could make me go from suicidal to...well whatever the hell this was.

I wondered around for a while until I found myself at the edge of the black lake. The ground was littered with weeds and stones. I bent over and picked up a flat piece of, what looked like, slate. With as much power as I could muster, I hurled it as far as I could, feeling some strange kind of satisfaction as harsh ripples polluted the calm waters. I laughed out loud as I say the giant squid bobble his head to the surface. Tiny little bubbles rose on the lake's surface as he retreated back under the murky waters. I picked up another stone, enjoying the feel of soil brushing against my fingertips.

"So you managed to get away from my mad ancestors, then? How did you get out of hell, then?" I turned to see Black, spying me intently with his grey eyes. He had rolled up the sleeves of his robes, and his tie was loosened and lopsided. The wind had ruffled his hair, leaving it windswept and gorgeous. I wish I had hair like Sirius Black's.

"I told them that I was coming up for a routine possession." I replied nervously, stealing yet another line from one of my favourite films. He let out a bark like laugh.

"You're a funny kid." He smiled, picking up a stone too. He flung it into the lake, groaning from the excursion.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked, noticing his scowl.

"Nothing." I scoffed, indicating that I didn't believe him.

There was a long pause.

"Is it your arm?" I asked after seeing him discreetly flexing his right arm...the one I had accidently stabbed. I felt a pang of guilt. Had I hurt him that badly?

"Yes. It does that...it's fine." He answered sitting down on the earthy ground. His entire body was tensed up.

"What does it do?" I asked, kneeling down and dipping my hand in the lake. The water was cool to the touch. I heard him sigh,

"It goes numb sometimes, and then starts stinging." He told me. I turned to see him now lying down. He had thrown his left arm over his eyes. Not an inch of his body moved.

I frowned. Perhaps the blood flow had been disturbed by the essence of dittany? Sometimes loosening the muscled up helped...there had been that time when Nikolai had hurt his arm in a similar way to Black. I had massaged his arm with some special oil I had and it had been as good as new in no time. I didn't have any oil with me, but I could give the kid a massage. It was the least I could do...after all it was my fault his arm was buggered up in the first place.

Resolved, I knelt by Black and took his arm. Gently, I pushed my thumbs upwards from his wrist, whilst I used the pads of my fingers to spread his own fingers out.

"Is this some kind of weird mating ritual?" Black asked me after a while, staring up at me. His face showed amusement...but his eyes...I shook myself mentally. I didn't like that look.

"The essence of dittany that I put on your...wound...must have done a bit too much healing. I think it may have stiffened your muscled or clotted too much blood in your veins. Whatever it is...its decreasing blood flow- that's what's causing the pain. Massage is a good way to solve the problem." He was quiet after that. I think he'd realised after a while that I was uncomfortable with him staring at me. In the end he just put his arm over his eyes again.

(CHANGE OF SCENE AND POV)

"I can assure you all, that Miss Petrova was a victim of my rather thoughtless behaviour. She did nothing...overly wrong." Albus Dumbledore sat, as his desk peering over his half moon spectacles at three of his seventh year students. He had spent the last twenty minutes of his time, trying to convince them, that Adelaide Petrova was not a criminal. However, it seemed that it was a lost cause.

"But, sir, she attacked you. She attacked you!" The Head Girl exclaimed.

"I know, Lily, alas, it is my own fault. I crossed a line this evening, and Miss Petrova suffered for it." Dumbledore sighed, his mind still troubled from earlier on. "She was terrified, I believe, and very angry. At herself, more than me, if I am correct."

"What happened?" Peter asked quietly. "What happened to make her want to die?"

"It...would be very unfair of me to tell you, I am afraid. "

"So you aren't going to tell us anything? Don't we deserve to know...after all we had to witness-whatever it was that happened?" James demanded; his temper steadily rising. He could not, for the life of him, understand what _Dumbledore_, more saint than man, could have possibly done to wrong Adelaide.

"You are, all of you, good people. I truly believe that; but you must let go of the notion that Miss Petrova is a criminal. She is not. She is a young lady that has been horribly wronged." He sighed again, slightly put out at his students somewhat sceptical looks. "Adelaide is a very...emotionally tried person. Her whole world has been turned inside out, and she needs friends- not enemies. Please trust me in this."

"Ok. I trust you. But I'm not going to be her friend."

"I agree with James."

"What about you, Peter?"

Peter looked perturbed. Had he had the nerve, would have told his best friend that he thought he was being very stupid. Now, Peter Pettigrew knew that he wasn't the sharpest tool in the box...but even a complete and utter moron would be able to understand that a girl, who was begging for death, must have had something severely terrible happen to her. How could two of the most intelligent people he knew, not be able to see that? The teenager wanted to say this all and much more to James and Lily, but courage failed him.

Dumbledore smiled discreetly. Peter, it seemed, was much more than he had originally thought. "It's getting late. Perhaps it's best for you all to rest now." The students took this as their cue to leave.

"I think it is in the interests of everyone, that none of us should tell anyone else about what transpired today. Goodnight." He added, just as the youngsters were about to leave the room.

"Goodnight, Professor." Peter yawned back.

(ADELAIDE POV)

I stood up, letting Black's hand drop gently to his side. I yawned, tired both physically and emotionally. Now that I had the clear night air billowing against me, I felt stupid. How could I have possibly broken down like that? In front of Potter, Lily and Peter? The fact that I had let them see me...so broken, was shameful. And Dumbledore? How fucking dare he? 'For the greater good' I suppose. Perhaps I should let him know that I know about his little tryst with a certain red haired psycho terrorist wizard. That'd show him.

"What are you grinning about?" Black asked, breaking my thought process.

"I was grinning?" I murmured, bringing a finger to my lips. "I didn't realise."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Revenge." I replied, not looking up at him. He chuckled, moving closer towards me.

"Revenge? What do you want revenge for? Someone stab you?" he yawned, nudging me lightly.

"Yep."

"You look alright to me." I turned towards him at this, and looked him in the eye.

"It was metaphorical." I whispered, butterflies exploding in my warm belly as Black leaned in towards me. His lips were almost touching mine. I closed my eyes, letting a lone tear fall from my left eye. His breath was hot against my skin, caressing me in a dirty yet pure way.

He pressed his hands against my shoulder and then- SPLASH.

I screamed, flailing my arms and legs about, trying to avoid the inevitable rush of icy water attacking my senses as I hit the surface of the great lake and was submerged beneath its chilly blanket. Water pressed in at me from all sides, burning my lungs. I kicked my legs, forcing my way up, until I broke through to the sweet, sweet air above.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" I roared, paddling furiously to the shore as Black tittered with glee.

Sopping and sodden through completely, I pulled myself back onto land and my feet.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" I repeated, running at Black and toppling him over, pounding him with everything I had. Unfortunately, I was freezing cold, wet through and emotionally and physically burnt out. 'Everything I had', turned out not to be a lot. Within moments, he was on top of me, holding my arms securely in place above my head, grinning like a bloody monkey.

"What the HELL was that for, you wanker!" I growled, attempting to use my legs to best him. That wasn't really working out for me, but I felt that I had to persist out of principle.

"Revenge." He smiled, planting a small kiss on my forehead. He let go of my arms, and jumped up, losing no time in sprinting as fast as he could towards the castle. Furious, I got up and pelted after him; after blood.

(LILY POV)

As Lily Evans opened the door to the seventh year girl's dormitory, her eyes automatically went to the bed situated opposite from her own. She was shocked to see the bed empty.

_Where is she?_

For a moment, worry flittered through her and memories of earlier on assaulted her conscience. What if Adelaide had done something stupid? Without thinking, she turned on her heels, letting the door slam behind her. She ignored the groans of no longer sleeping teenagers that followed.

"James! Peter? Adelaide isn't in her bed." She panted, only just catching the two boys who were on their way to their own beds.

For a second, the two boys looked worried. However, within that same second, Sirius bounded into the room, followed by a soaking wet, and very much furious Adelaide.

"I'm going to kill you." She ground out, her voice low and feral. Sirius just barked with laughter.

"Wh-"

"I pushed her into the lake!" Sirius answered the curious looks on his friends faces. James snickered at this whilst Lily's lips twitched ever so slightly. Peter was the only one who showed any sign of sympathy for Adelaide.

"Are you alright?" He asked kindly, before giving Sirius a disapproving glance. However, said marauder was currently relating the tale in full with animation to his best friend.

She glanced at Lily, trying to assess her position, but the head girl had already started ascending the stairs leading her to her dorm.

"Yeah...I'm fine." I nodded, giving Peter a soft smile. "This prick, however," I gestured towards Black. "...is going to wake up to find he has no balls tomorrow."

"Sorry, love, but I highly doubt that." I swirled on the spot and back handed him.

(ADELAIDE POV)

"Highly doubt what?" I asked, smiling sweetly.

"Just leave us alone, Petrova." James glared at me. I held his gaze as he continued. "I'd stay away from this one, Pads, she's a psycho. Petrova the psycho." I snorted at this. James was a retard.

"Oh, how very witty of you, sweetheart. Did mummy teach you that?" I asked, very slowly, as if I was talking to a dunce. Which, by all means I was.

"Why don't you roll over and die already? It's not like there are any _objection_s now, are there?" he replied callously. I understood exactly what the slimy toad; rat's arse was referring to. And I would have socked him in the face there and then. However, I had no wish to see Dumbledore any time soon, so I kept myself in check.

"How charming and clever of you. I can't _possibly_ see how Evans could _ever_ keep her hands off you." There was a dangerous glint in his eyes now. He wanted to hit me... I had seen that same look in countless pairs of eyes. I had hit a nerve.

I smirked.

It seemed that I would be playing the part of the criminal for the duration of my stay here.

That night, when I finally nodded off; I saw Nikolai. He was wearing a plain white shirt with faded jeans. His hair, identical in colour to my own brown locks was windswept. In his hands he had a gold necklace. I frowned.

Nikolai was dead. I had seen him die...so why was he here now?

"It's because I missed you, little Alina." he smiled, looking up at me, his sparkling blue eyes laughing. They weren't mocking me. They were comforting me.

"Don't look so confused, little von. Aren't you happy to see me?" he chuckled lightly. Anyone else would have seen this as amusement, but I knew it to be concern.

For the second, or possibly the third time in twenty four hours, I burst into tears.

"Nikka! I'm s-so so-rry. I could have saved you...forgive me. And...Nat...Bump. Where's bump?" I sobbed, throwing my arms around him.

"Shhh, Alina, there vas nothing you could have done." The sound his voice was soft and reassuring. I clung to him like I was about to fall into some abyss of darkness and sin.

"Have I gone mad, Nikolai? Have I gone mad, or is this all really happening? Where's bump?" I asked, becoming near hysterical.

"Is vat really happening, little von?" he asked, pulling away from me. He studied me intently and wiped away my tears. "Do you mean ze vole business viz zis new vorld?"

"What is it, Nikka? Tell me what you know...what's happening to me?" I begged him, fresh tears flowing down my face.

Nikolai smiled again. This time, I could see he was teasing me. "I cannot tell you, pumpkin. It is something you need to figure out in your own time. But know zat I am wiv you..." he place his hand over my heart. "Right here. And Bump is not far behind, little von. Nor is Natty."

Soooo...What did you all think? Do you like where I'm going? Do you hate or Love the characters? Tell me, Tell me, Tell me as I would love to know your opinion! :D

Do you have any thoughts or feelings about any characters?

Would you like to know anything about me?

Leave a review and I will be happy to reply either as a pm or in the next chapter :D

Have a good day/night wherever you are.


	5. What, is a combine harvester?

Hello again, lovely people reading along. Today is what I like to call a blessed day- No one gave me ANY homework. This is a rare occurrence, and usually I have three pieces set- a day! I am so chuffed that I wrote this chapter

**Disney-Princess-In-Disguise:** Thank you for your review- I'm so happy that you are enjoying yourself! Eeeps...I _am_ painting Lily and James in a very bad light :S. I'm afraid they aren't too different in this chapter, but you know...give it time...they might calm down...or they might not. See the suspense I just created? Lol. Anyway, let me know what you think of this chapter

CHAPTER FIVE

It was a Friday evening and I was sat on one of the comfy sofas, reading a heavy book, with my feet propped up on a tea table. If Bates- one of my old lecturers-were to see me now, he'd have given me a good thwack. (The old geezer had a thing for furniture and old stuff) Fortunately for me, he wasn't here. In fact, no one was. I was left to my own devices. I grinned like an idiot to myself. I was far too anti-social for my own good.

Anyhow, I was reading a book: _A voyage into the unknown_ and it was completely and utterly useless to me. I threw it unceremoniously into a pile of more, also very useless books.

Sighing, I picked up a new one; _Space, time and a funny thing called love._ Yes...I see _exactly_ how space, time and love are connected. These wizard books were beginning to annoy me. Hell, wizards in general were beginning to annoy me! I opened it up and trailed my fingers against the inside cover. The paper was of good quality, and was soft despite its obvious age. I smiled happily. Books. That was where I belonged; with books.

_My name is Leonodias, and I have made a discovery of epic proportions. I have learnt the secret of inter-dimensional travel._

My breath hitched in my throat. Holy cow, this was it. How could I have been so sceptical? This could be my ticket home!

I kept reading with rapt attention.

_That is one of many words I've learnt through my travels. I say words...but really they are concepts- quiet magical in their own right. I have learnt how to travel through time and space. Even through whole worlds! Is it not marvellous, how creation works?_

_It all happened quiet by accident. One day, I was sat at my desk, listening to Lizzie and Tibbs playing in the next room. And I felt a strange calling. It was a silent calling, drawing me in through my heart. Tears sprang forth from my eyes, blinding me with this unfound melancholy. I felt quiet destitute...but why? I had asked myself. Why did I feel this way? I was happy...rich and young. There was nothing in this world that could cause me any amount of pain. Lizzie ran to me at this point astounded my frantic sobs. My dear sister Lizzie; she held me in her arms for almost an age._

"_Dear Leonodias, what could possibly be the matter? Tell me now which fiend has caused my most beloved brother such regret and misery?" she had whispered tenderly as she comforted my soul. _

"_I fear that I do not know myself. What great mischief has come over my heart?" I demanded no real person, but some spirit that I had suspected to be founder of such nonsensical musings on my part._

_To be sure, my dearest sister sent me to my bed immediately, fearing for my health. The young miss wiped my forehead herself with her own handkerchief- refusing profusely to allow any of the servants near me other than the Doctor. _

_Roughly, and with a great deal of pain on my part, I fell into a fitful sleep. To be sure, as I woke I found myself somewhere quiet different to-_

"LILY!" My head snapped up as I heard a loud crash followed my shouts.

_What the actual fuck?_

"I cannot BELIEVE that you are defending HIM!" aforementioned red head screamed quiet psychotically. Seriously, the girl was a few peas short of a pod. And a little frustrates I would imagine. In more ways that one.

"I'm not defending anyone! All I'm saying, is that maybe you should just give him a break!" Marlene McKinnon huffed. "Sirius is my boyfriend!"

_Really? Well she got her dirty little mitts on him quickly..._

"So?" Lily retorted.

"So...it makes me look bad that my _best_ friend can't even be mildly nice to _his_ best-friend!"

"_Oh_, so I make you look bad now do I."

I closed my book with a sigh. I was so...tantalizingly close to home, and now...well, now I'd have to wait. I couldn't very well read anything else with this infernal racket going on. Let me tell you, Lily Evans has got a set of lungs on her...which is probably why Pot-Head's so enamoured with her. And yes, I did just refer to James Potter as Pot-Head...Hey, the kid has been chewing my arse off for two weeks now! I personally feel I can call him whatever the hell I like...anyway, I digress.

I stood up, thoroughly annoyed that I could not read my book in peace, when the marauders waltzed in.

"Oh Siri! I'm so sorry...Lily didn't mean a word of what she-"

"The hell I didn't!" Lily snarled, glaring at Marlene. "You're a prick, Potter...and now that I come to think of it, so are you _Black!_" Prick? I grinned... Lily learned that from me.

This was met with an uproar. "_Me?_ What did I do?"

"Don't play dumb you git you know exactly-" At this point, I began ignoring them, eager to get away from the noise.

"Hi, Adelaide." Peter said shyly, sitting down beside me. "What are you reading?"

"Nothing much, Pete...it's all very mundane stuff really." I replied flashing the rat like boy a smile. I really had come to like Peter of late. He was the only one, bar Dumbledore of course, who was acting even remotely civilised towards me. "And, Pete..."

"Yeah?"

"Call me Alina." He looked at me puzzled.

"But your name's Adelaide." He told me, causing me to chuckle.

"I know...My family is Russian." I explained slowly for him. "And in Russia, nicknames don't always sound the same as the real name...So Adelaide is Alina. It's simples." I giggled at my reference to the meerkat. Light dawned on Peter's face.

"Okay then...Alina." He beamed at me, fully appreciating the branch of friendship. I glanced back at the Lily and the others still having their freefall.

"Just don't let anyone else know about it...I only let my friends call me that." I patted him on the head. "I'm gonna head off now...things to do, people to meet."

"Bye, Alina." I smiled as I left the common room, millions of books in tow. It had been too long since someone...a real living person had called me that.

"Oh, I've got a brand new combine harvester...and I'll give you the keeeey...Come on now, let's get together, In perfect harmonyyyy...I got twenty acres and you got forty...threeeeeee! "

"What, is a combine harvester?" I turned on the spot, turning bright red. True I had been singing at the top of my voice...but I hadn't expected anyone to be out and about at this part of the castle.

"Err...hi, Black." I stared at him awkwardly for a moment. Please, eat me now, ground.

"Like what you see, Petrova?" he winked at me.

"Like I'd look twice at a moron who doesn't even know what a combine harvester is." I replied smartly, turning to leave. He followed me.

"You're blushing." He grinned.

"No I'm not, you idiot." I wasn't...I'm sure. Well, I might have-NO. I definitely was NOT blushing. I should know...I am a genius after all.

"Hey...my grades are better than yours." _How juvenile?_ But on a more serious note...I have an IQ of frigging 160...if I had been magicking it up for the whole of my life like present loser over here, I'd be a seriously kickass witch by now. Of course, he wasn't to know that. It's not like he's a _genius_ or anything like that.

"Really? Is that so...how nice." I replied cheerfully, quickening my pace. Unfortunately, Black was part of the Quidditch team, and was more than up to the task of keeping up with me.

"I was calling you an idiot."

I rolled my eyes...Black was suck a plank. I stopped and looked at him with my best you're-a-piece-of-shit look. "You're a mental midget and have the IQ of a fencepost."

He laughed. Like a lunatic. As though there was nothing funnier in the world. I was taking the piss out of him for the love all things cheesy! Mmm...cheese. I fancy a bit of cheese...I'm waffling _again_.

"What?"

"You are hilarious." He grinned, still keeping in step with me. "So why are you up so late?" he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. I scoffed in annoyance.

"I was reading...I lost track of time." I muttered. That wasn't the case at all...I had in actuality been looking for a quiet place to read. Most, would-be-suitable places however seemed to be presently occupied with kissing couples.

"Reading?" he snorted. "You know how to read?"

"That's very clever for someone who'd need another brain to get even half a wit."

"Touché Petrova." He grinned, giving me that funny look he always did. Then it hit me. I was alone, late at night...with Black. I started hyperventilating. _How could I have let myself get into such a situation?_ Was I an idiot?

"Evidently." I muttered aloud without meaning to.

"What was that, Petrova?" he asked, far too close to me for my liking. I shuffled a bit to my left. Annoyingly, he followed. I was gonna shoot this kid in a minute.

"Nothing...Right, well it was lovely seeing you...I think I'll be off now-"

Without a word of warning, Black had me pinned up against the wall. Adrenaline and pure fear rushed through my veins and my breathing was ragged. In short, I was very much playing the part of a deer caught in headlights.

"What's going on?" he demanded, his tone smooth as his story grey eyes smouldered my own. What the hell was this retard talking about?

"You are attacking me is what!" I replied angrily after a moment, my fear vanishing. I began thrashing around like a wild thing, kicking and spitting in a mad bid to escape his strong hold.

"LET ME GO!" I screamed, trying to ignore his gaze. His eyes were wondering all over me...and I felt dirty.

He grinned before leaning forwards so much so that our noses were almost touching. "I'm not going to hurt you." He breathed, not convincing me at all, raking my body with his damn eyes. I could feel his hot breath on my face and it brought back memories that I would rather not see again.

"Stop crying." He ordered. I hadn't realised that I was crying...how pathetic of me.

"Let me go...now!" he complied and I didn't waste any time in getting as far away from him as possible.

I ran all the way back to the common room entrance and yelled the password to the fat lady. Without stopping, I practically flew up the stairs and into my dormitory where I launched onto my bed...and like a five year old hid under my covers. I was well aware that the previously chatting girls were now staring my way in wonder. I was crazy. I knew it, and at this moment I couldn't care less. Black had scared the living daylights out of me and I needed to restart my heart.

"What the hell is wrong with, Petrova?" I heard Marlene cackle. Alice and Mary giggled after a moment and I heard Lily whisper something, but I couldn't quiet work out what.

I woke, as had annoyingly become routine now, earlier than pretty much the entire castle. Groggy and grumpy, I made my way to breakfast.

"How are you this morning, Miss Petrova?" someone asked. I turned to see Dumbledore smiling softly at me.

"Just dandy." I replied with false cheer. Apparently that was a very funny thing to say, because he chuckled. I was sorely tempted to throw pumpkin juice at him. Yes, I was still pissed off with the old man.

I sat down at the Gryffindor table and began pouring myself a cup of juice. Dumbledore took a seat next to me. Huffing exasperatedly, I helped myself to a bowl of cornflakes. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Dumbledore was munching on some toast. He had scrambled eggs on his plate. I knew there was a reason I didn't trust him. _Fucking, egg-eater._

I had been hoping to continue reading _Space, Time and a funny thing called love,_ but in order to do so, I needed absolute solitude. ..It's just the way I am. After Lily and Marlene's episode and being attacked by a horny teenage marauder, I hadn't had the chance to keep reading. Plus, I'd had a mountain of homework to complete. It would seem, I wouldn't be getting a chance today either.

"I trust that you are staying on top of all your school work." He said, breaking the preferred silence.

"Ye-p." I popped the p, abandoning my cereal and attacking a juicy green apple instead.

"I must say that it is remarkable, how you've managed to reach such a high level of magic in such a short amount of time...and with minimal direction too."

"What can I say, I'm a genius." I replied, still eating my apple. Where was this guy going with this?

"Well, yes, I suppose you are." We were both silent for a while. "I couldn't help but notice that you have a certain flair when it comes to healing."

I snorted. "That would be because I have two doctorate degrees in medicine." I stood up; fussing with the hideous patched up skirt I was wearing.

"Would you be interested in learning more healing from Madame Pomfrey?" I stopped and turned.

"Magical healing?" I asked the old man in wonder..._Hell yeah!_

"Yes. I thought that might interest you. And I could give you extra lessons in magic. We could work on getting you home at the same time." I didn't need his help on getting home...but the magic bit was tempting.

I stared at him for a second blankly before grinning broadly.

"I'd be very interested...Professor." I added the honorific as an afterthought.

"I'll set something up with the matron, and we'll see what happens." He smiled.

"Right-o!"

"Adelaide." I stopped again and looked at him.

Dumbledore stared into my eyes. It was unnerving to be completely honest. I could see the apology in his eyes before he even opened his mouth. "I truly am sorry. What I did was-"

"Let it rest, old man. We can't undo the done..." I sighed, not able to believe I was about to say this... "And...err...I'm sorry...I err...cursed at you...It was...yeah."

"It's perfectly alright, my dear." His eyes twinkled, and I felt all the anger I had for him dissipate. "I don't know why I was so compelled to..."

"I do. You're a nosy watsit who thinks far too highly of himself." I grumbled back, raising an eyebrow.

"You are quiet a remarkable young lady, Adelaide." Dear lord, did _Albus Dumbledore_ just _smirk_? Merlin have mercy! _Merlin?_ I'm going crazy!

Myself and Dumbledore were laughing raucously as I told him another of my science jokes when the marauders and Lily's posse decided to turn up. They sat a little away from us, the all of them outright gawking at us. Lily, James and Peter seemed to be the most confused...I attributed this to the fact they had all been present for my outburst the other day and had watched me mercilessly slate the man.

"What did the male stamen say to the female Pistil?" Dumbledore shrugged his shoulders. "Nice...style!" Dumbledore burst out laughing.

"I don't believe I've laughed so much in years!" the headmaster exclaimed. "I must go now...Professor McGonagall is setting me the most frightful glare." I nodded and went back to my breakfast, red from all the laughter.

"Was that meant to be funny or something?" Marlene. Go figure.

"What's wrong, Marls...not enough brain span to work out the answer on your ownsies?" I asked not bothering to look up.

"You're such a spaz." She oh so smartly retorted before proceeding to try and eat Black's face. This annoyed me. If she was going to have a go at me, she should stick it out to the end.

"Marlene, I've wanted to ask you this since we first met, but I've never really gotten the chance." She looked up at me for a moment confused. Gods blondes were tiresome!

"What?" she snapped, still groping, Black.

"Are your parents siblings?" I asked seriously. Peter laughed, giving me a discreet thumbs up. I grinned back at him

Marlene, on the other hand, looked like she was about to kill me. However, Lily, in all her brilliance, whispered something to her. Instead of the catfight I was looking forward to, Marlene stood up and stomped off, dragging Black along with her.

"Do you have to leave so soon?" I called out to her. "I was about to poison the tea, love!"

I stood up abandoning my breakfast and deciding to go find a quiet corner somewhere where I could read, when James decided to have a heart to heart with me.

"What is with you?" he growled, throwing his fist down on the table.

"Careful, you might hurt yourself." I said bitterly, about to sidestep him.

"Why don't you just leave us alone...and we'll do the same." Lily stepped up next to him and glowered at me for a moment. Those two.._.really are made for each other!_

"Lily! Come to join us have you?" I faked brightness. "You two kids finally getting along then?"

"Look, Marlene and Sirius are good people. Why are you so hell bent on making their lives miserable?"

I scoffed at this. "James, you're such a plank." I muttered, walking swiftly towards the entrance.

"Are you trying to call me stupid?" he near yelled, grabbing my shoulder. People were starting to stare at us now.

I took James' hand in my hands and looked into his eyes sincerely. "I don't think you're stupid...It's not your fault that you're being possessed by a retarded ghost."

Yeah, so I'm hiding in a broom cupboard now. James doesn't take criticism well it would seem. He's currently searching the castle for me. What he's going to do to me, I have no idea. I do, however, know that I really don't want to find out.

So you can understand why I nearly peed myself when the door of my cosy little cupboard opened. In a flash my wand was positions between the newcomer's eyes.

"Peter...You nearly made me wet myself!"I breathed, beckoning him inside.

"James is livid." The podgy boy told me as I nodded. Of course he was. A very childish part of me secretly rejoiced.

"Yeah, I had a feeling he might be." I grinned.

"He has a prefect meeting at seven, so you can make an escape then." Peter told me once he was positioned next to me and I had secured the doors shut.

I patted him on the back jovially. "Peter...I swear you're an angel." He blushed at this, making me giggle.

"Alina..."

"Hmm?" I sighed, closing my eyes and tilting my head back.

"Are you going to leave?"

I looked up at Peter. This guy was more perceptive than I thought. "What makes you say that?"

"Dumbledore...that...that night, Dumbledore said he'd do whatever he could to get you home. Does that mean you're leaving?" he spoke quietly.

"I don't know if I can go home." I told him truthfully, my voice shaded with regret. I smiled when he put his hand comfortingly on my shoulder.

"Hogwarts is your home too."

"I don't belong here Peter."

He was silent for a moment before he replied. "Home is where the heart is...so you just need to figure out where your heart is...Your hearts right here." He smiled, putting his hand above where my heart was. _Philosophical little bastard._

"I don't have a heart, Pete. It got buried a long time ago." I whispered, very close to tears.

He patted my shoulder awkwardly. Hey...the kid was trying.

"You better get going now. The others will wonder where you are."

END

Dun dun dun. Right, so what do you guys think of this bad boy? Like? Hate? Bananas? Let me know what you think will happen. What you want to happen etc. That is if you aren't all terrified of the next chapter, because there might be more lame science jokes. *evil grin* If that's the case...there aren't. I don't think. My hands might accidently slip and just so happen to type lots up...hey I have to keep you lot of your toes somehow :D

Oh I KNOW! Post your best science jokes and I'll post the best ones in the next chapter :D

Anyway, enough rambling. Enjoy your day/night and remember...Harry Potter rules!


	6. I am a social reject

Soo...Chapter six. I like this chapter because things are starting to happen...and hopefully you will _all_ be gobsmacked...or not. Whatever...it's cool. Cool like ice-cubes.

Here is the ONE awesome joke I got from the last chap:

I'd tell you a joke about a noble gas, but all the good ones Argon! From the wonderful Disney-Princess-In-Disguise You have won the nerdy jokes comp

Messages:

Disney-Princess-In-Disguise : I'm _thrilled_ that the retarded ghost line affected you so much! I read the chap back to myself, and I have to agree with you it's the highlight of the whole thing! And I regularly freak my siblings out with my internet reactions :D so you're not alone! Anyhow, do let me know what you think of this next chapter!

Roses Roses And More Roses : I freaking love you! VIRTUAL COOKIE? Hell yeah! I got me a virtual cookie *Does a highly embarrassing dance* ...As you can see I am easily excited! Anyway, welcome to the story- I know, I'm so bad...OOCing, but I can't help it! I am a bad child...but stick around and see what happens with James and Lily! They kind of have to be morons at the moment. And I really hated Peter in the books too! I think that's a reason why he's good in this fan fic. A) When I'm writing, because I hate his real character, I often overlook him...so I had to give him some redeeming qualities so I _actually_ include him! B) This fan fic, in a way, explores the characters of the books before they were the characters in the books. As a reader and a people watcher, I know that personalities don't just appear. They change and are moulded over entire lifetimes. And I believe that at some point, Peter was a truly good person. **I can't guarantee that this story will be compliant with the books, but stick around and you might enjoy yourself!**

Anyway, Enjoy and any characters that you recognise and story plots etc are from JK Rowling.

CHAPTER SIX

_My name is Adelaide Petrova and I am a social reject._ That about sums my life up right about now. I'm in charms you see, and the whole class has a bloody vendetta against me..._still_. Except for Peter that is- he's the only one who has any taste in my opinion. Yes, my head is the size of Mt Kilimanjaro. Anyhow, we're revising the Talon-clipping charm. It's fairly simple, so most of the class are able to do the charm non-verbally. This really doesn't help me, as _how the bloody hell_, whilst learning charms on my own, _am I the hell_ to know that we need to know a frigging Talon-clipping charm! How the heck is this going to help me? _Ever_? _Oh look, its lord Voldemort...I know I'll clip his talons and then he'll just disappear or something. _I scoffed loudly, earning myself a strange look from Flitwick. I'm waffling again. Right...so I'm sat here, staring at a fake claw, hoping that it will spontaneously start clipping itself. And I am _sure_ that people are whispering now. Not that they don't anyway...everyone seems to be under the impression that I worked in a bordello before I came to Hogwarts...but the fact remains, that they are whispering about me...and laughing. They think I'm thick. ME! Adelaide Petrova. Hell, _Dr_. Adelaide Petrova. I have two doctorate degrees in effing medicine...I'm not thick. I went to Oxford University when I was bloody eleven!

"Sir!" I looked up to see Marlene beckoning the tiny professor over. "Sir, I've noticed that Petrova is just sitting there doing nothing. I don't think that it's fair on the rest of us who are working for our grades." Gods, how I wanted to pummel that plastic face of hers to death right now. Even more, I wanted to die myself, because Flitwick was looking my way. And even before he knew it himself, I could see the cogs turning in his little shrivelled head and knew exactly what he was about to ask me to do.

And good lord, did I want to cry.

"I must say I agree...Miss Petrova, you have the potential to do great things, but it won't happen unless you put in some hard work." I could have eaten myself...I've used that line on so many spoilt rich kids that it's insane. "Now, why don't you show the class the spell?" he smiled at me encouragingly. I really wanted to hit him. Hell, I really wanted to hit McKinnon.

"mmh." I made a funny noise and swallowed. _This is really not good._

I raised my wand up a fraction and tried to frantically come up with a solution. "Did you know that in South Africa its law that single-ply toilet roll must have 500 sheets?" _What the hell?_ Where did that come from?

"Err...no...That's a very interesting fact, though." The Professor squeaked.

"Just get on with it Petrova!" Pot-head yelled. I glared at him. I took a deep breath and readied myself.

"I don't...I've never..." I paused, fully aware of the titters of laughter being thrown in my direction. I took another deep breath. "I've never been taught this charm."

There was momentary silence.

"You're such a spaz, Petrova." Marlene My-dream-is-to-make-clymydia-global McKinnon quipped. The temptation to curse her into oblivion was _very_...very strong. However, there was a room full of witnesses, so I thought better of it.

"Is spaz the only word is your vocabulary, McKinnon? Apart from fuck me, that is." I added the last part dryly. She began to squeal something incomprehensible but Flitwick cut across her.

"I will not allow such language, Miss Petrova!" Marlene smirked as I scowled. "Detention, this Saturday at 7.00pm." I gawped. Detention? Me? DETENTION? _I'm a teacher!_

I threw Marlene a dirty look before sitting down. It would only incense the man if I pointed out that 'spaz' was much worse a word than fuck. _Us teachers_, we don't like to be corrected.

For the rest of the lesson, I sat, as always, on my own, looking over my meticulously taken notes. Anger blushed furiously in my cheeks, and I was aware of several persons looking my way. The most infuriating by far, was the innocent, and openly curious gaze of Sirius Black.

As soon as the bell rang to dismiss the class, I was on my feet, throwing my things haphazardly into my bag. Flushed with shame, I made my way quickly to the Gryffindor Common room where I would spend my lunch hour and free period I had after that.

Still seething, I plonked myself onto one of the chairs in the corner, curling up like a cat, with a heavy book in my hand. I rifled through my pockets for a moment, retrieving my reading glasses. Shoving them on, I opened up the book and began reading.

_Sometimes, I'm scared to go to sleep; terrified that when I wake up, it will all have had been a dream. Sometimes, I am afraid to wake up, fearful that it isn't a dream. My mind is confused, as is my heart, you see. I have lived along and colourful life, but I do not forget that I have had to choose one of two worlds. Truthfully, though, it was never my own conscious decision to stay. It was my soul that drove me here, and it is my soul that keeps me here. _

_It may seem confusing, what I am trying to convey, but my story itself is confusing. Perhaps it is best if I start from the beginning it will make more sense?_

"No shit Sherlock" I snorted.

_When I woke, I found myself in this magical world. Beasts half man and half horse found me, cold, dirty and with a fever. I could barely even lift my head...but I had been terrified. I had thought that surely they would eat me; or worse. But they merely left me. What seemed like days passed. I was nearing death...I could feel something calling out to me, and somewhere deep inside of my heart and mind, I knew I was yearning for death. So I gave up. I let myself go, and promised myself to die. I was a fool. No man chooses his destiny...he is merely a playing piece. That is a fact that I forgot. I did not die. I was saved by an angel of grace. She came to me, dressed in strange white clothes. Her raven locks hung loose and her pretty face was pale and glowing. She soothed me with her beautiful voice and sang me comfort. When she wiped the sweat and blood from my brow, and her dainty fingers brushed against my skin, a bright light, as silver as the moon shot from both our bodies, encircling us. I could not think. I was speechless; all I could see was her beauty. She took me to a castle where she healed me with her magic. She taught me how to use magic, guiding me with her brilliance. I was in love. I missed home, my dear sister Lizzie, but I was in love. Every second away from her was like being skinned alive. We were as one. Her pain was mine, and mines hers. Even now, almost four decades later, she is still the centre of my entire universe. We were soul mates. She told me her magic had called out to me, and her touch had sealed us. We were destined for each other. When I asked her later about the light that had caressed us that fateful day, she told me that we were bonded with the greatest magic known to mankind; love. You see my angel put a charm on herself so that she could –_

There was a loud OMPF and giggling.

I looked up, shocked, to see Sirius, clad only in his trousers, on top of Marlene, who happened to be only in her florescent pink underwear, snogging the life out of her. Their discarded items of clothing were scattered around the room. It was as clear as day where this was going. I blushed...I had been so intent on reading I hadn't even noticed them arriving. Bloody hell...why were they getting all close and personal in the middle of a public place? Frigging hormonal teens!

I jumped up when Marlene let out a gurgled moan of pleasure, making me blush even more.

"Oh shit." I blurted out, shooting out of my seat and running as though my arse were on fire or something. I didn't care where I was going...I just couldn't see..._that._

"Petrova?" I heard Marlene squeak in shock. _Why the fuck, do these things always happen to me?_ I ignored her, and kept running, yanking the entrance door open.

I kept running until I found a deserted corridor.

"Crap." I muttered to myself, memories of a more sinister sort producing themselves. "Don't think about it. It's done. It's finished. Don't think about it." I whispered hoarsely to myself. I wanted to cry...to feel some sort of release, but my eyes wouldn't tear up.

I sat there for hours, in the dark, simply breathing. I was trying to clear my head, to forget those memories, but I couldn't shake them. I needed it to stop, but I couldn't see how.

"I need to go home."

I walked slowly back to the Common room. I knew from the scattered rays of moonlight that in all likelihood, Black and Marlene would have gone elsewhere else, or something. They definitely wouldn't be still sprawled out on the sofa anymore. I blushed again. When I reached the portrait of the fat lady, she was sat with her friend Violet, surrounded with empty bottles of wine.

"Gillyweed." I said loudly before she could say a word.

"Yesss...hic...in you...hic...go." she and Violet giggles as the door swung open.

Cautiously, I stepped in through the portrait hole, noting with distain that the Marauders and Lily were the only ones in the common room. Remus was sat a bit away from the others, reading an upside down book. The others were all hovering over something, their backs to me. I sighed, just my luck.

"You can't just go around looking through people's things! It's rude!" Lily was yelling. None of them had seen me yet. I kept to the shadows, hoping to slip up to my dorm.

"Oh, give it a rest, Evans. It's just a book!" I froze in my tracks as Black spoke. Book? Book...oh. _Book._ Realisation dawned on me.

"Hey! That's mine." I stormed over towards Black, furious when I saw that both he and Pot-head were rifling through my personal belongings. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I was nearly yelling as Pot-Head picked up my Oxford I.D pass. It was silly, I know, to carry it around with me...but it was a little piece of home.

"Important Personnel and Professors pass. Dr. A R Petrova. Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford." He read out loud. Great. This was going to be a fun one to explain. _Not_.

"What? Why do _you_ have an I.D pass for _Oxford _University?" Lily asked me, baffled. I narrowed my eyes at her. I didn't appreciate the way she had said that- As though _I _wasn't good enough for Oxford.

"It belongs to my brother." I lied quickly.

"Really?" Black asked my suspiciously.

"Really." I gave him a you're-a-retard look.

"Sure?" I bit back another science joke and nodded at this.

"So...why is there a picture of you on the front of it then?" Oh bugger. Black is cleverer than I give him credit for.

"Well...that would be because my brother is a transvestite." I told them all knowingly.

"Yeah, and Black's a virgin." Lily snapped. James and Black both sniggered at this. Nice one Lily. Hold on, wait. She's against me. _Evil_..._bad_ red-head.

"Lily, you can't blame the poor boy...erectile dysfunction is a serious thing and really it's not his fault." Yeah...I'm back on form.

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit."

I rolled my eyes. "How clever of you. Black." I replied dryly.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Pot-Head picking up my book.

"_Space, Time and a funny thing called love?_" he snickered much to my chagrin. Black took the book from his best friend and gave a bark of laughter. _Wow. This is the height of _male_ maturity. _

"Give it back!" I spat, snatching at the book, but Black held me back, smirking in his idiotic way.

"Don't want to." He replied childishly, as a small square of paper fell from the book. James picked it up, his wand in his hand.

"What is it?" Black asked.

"Err...invensoldalisvil." Pot-Head read loud. There was a hushed silence, before a blinding light and a whoosh erupted from Potter's wand. I covered my watering eyes and screamed at Potter to put his wand down. The intensity of the light grew and grew until I could no longer see anything else in the room. Someone grabbed my arm, holding it in a vice like grip. I heard Peter squeal from somewhere, and without thinking I immediately called out to him.

"I'M-" the light dissipated in less than a nano second; as though it had never been there at all. "FINE!" Peter yelled, his arms covering his eyes in a similar way that mine had been. I giggled at his whimpering expression when he lowered his arms. He gave me a weak smile which I returned with something that had a little more of a kick.

"Lily...you're cutting of the circulation in my arm." I muttered, slightly annoyed at the red-head. She could be a bitch to me, and then use me as life support when it suited her. No thanks.

"Sorry." She turned bright red and dropped her hand.

_Fucking bitch. _

"Pads, are you aright?" Pot-Head asked Black. I turned in their direction and laughed out loud at Black, who was sprawled out on the ground, groaning from pain.

"Alina!" My head snapped up to Peter. "Your book!" I followed his gaze. My heart sunk from my chest down to my stomach.

"Shit!" I screamed, running towards the fireplace. My book- my ticket out of this place- was in the fireplace. I flung myself at the fire, completely forgetting the fact that I am in actuality a witch. Potter and Peter both grabbed onto me at this point.

"You're going to burn to a crisp if you touch the fire!" Potter yelled at me as I watched hopelessly at the flame licking my last salvation.

"Not the book. That's my...home...stuck...damn it. Damn it. DAMN IT!" I was growled hysterically trying to fight my way out of the two teen's grasp. I kicked and flailed my arms like a rabbit caught in a trap.

"Calm down, Petrova." Black said hoarsely. He put his hand on my shoulder and I glared at him venomously before continuing my plight for freedom.

And then it happened.

I let out a roar of frustration and trod on Peter's foot. He stumbled forwards, taking Potter with him, who in turn grabbed hold of Black's shirt. I stumbled and I felt Black capture me in his arms. I raised my own arms in an attempt to get away from him and I heard the distinct sound of ripping fabric. This sudden action sent both me and Black flying backwards. Without thinking I grabbed Black and came into contact with the bare skin of his chest. Light, more powerful than even the one we'd just seem engulfed us and we were suspended in midfall. My whole body was tingling with adrenaline and something warm and soft yet powerful and harsh at the same time soared through me. The room had once again disappeared, except this time I could see Black. His grey orbs gazed into my own, easing my panic. I tried to speak, to scream...to something, but this magic light had rendered me useless.

Then it was gone, and we were thrown unceremoniously onto the ground with a loud, resounding THUD.

"What the heck just happened?" Potter asked dumbfounded. Panic laced his words and I couldn't help but feel satisfied at this. This was ALL James Potter's fault and I would be damned to hell and back if I didn't make sure that he knew where the fault lay.

"Unfortunately, Pot-Head, no one told your parents about contraception and you happened." I spat, pushing Black off of me. "What kind of idiot reads out bloody spells with their wands like that? Fuck knows what's happened here."

"Do you feel any different? Did it hurt?" Lily demanded, taking control of the situation. I rolled my eyes, sorely tempted to give her a good slap.

I turned to the fire and crouched beside it...the only thing that indicated that there had been a book there, were the tiny scatterings of carbonated paper.

My fists balled up at my sides as I glared angrily at Black and Potter.

"Oh get over it, Adelaide. It's just a book." Lily snapped.

I growled at her and stood up sharply.

"That _book _was my last chance. It was my last _fucking_ chance, and now I'm _fucking_ stuck in this shit-hole!" I roared angrily.

"Lily's right. This is weird. I think we should go see Professor Dumbledore." Remus said quietly, speaking for the first time. I rounded on him, furious.

"Oh, so the mute's finally decided to join in!" I screamed at him, heading towards the portrait hole. "Where the fuck were you, Mr-I'm-the-perfect-prefect, when these wankers were messing with my stuff?" he merely looked up at me apologetically. I let out a frustrated growl and turned on my heel.

"What the hell is wrong with _you_?" Black growled, giving me a disgusted look.

"Don't start with me you wanker, because I swear to God, I am ready to go on a killing spree and when I do, you and Potter are the fucking first to die!" I screamed back at him, storming over to the entrance door.

"Where are _you_ going!" Black yelled to me.

"DUMBLEDORE'S OFFICE YOU RETARD!" I slammed the door behind me and began the trek, to what I was sure, was going to be one hell of a long night.

"I'd rather take on the fucking Russians..._again_." I murmured angrily to myself, as I reached the Headmaster's office.

*Evil Grin* What did you all think?

Was it horrible? OR good?

What do you think the spell did to Sirius and Adelaide?

Do you have any questions about the story? Or anything?

Remember to R&R :D

BTW: I have nothing against Russians...in fact I think they're pretty epic. I just picked a random country on my sharpener globe to be evil for the story :D

Happy reading and I hope you are having a splendiferous time doing whatever it is that you are doing! Peace out :D


	7. Maybe, Black is feeling the same thing

Howdy people of the interwebz :D It's good to figuratively see you all again. Now, I realise that it has taken me a while to publish another chapter- but you must forgive me, as I had 7 essays to write. **SEVEN!** I mean, come on, there should be some sort of law against that kind of cruelty! And I had an exam to prepare for. (An exam in which I got an A sorry, I'm really chuffed with that and felt the need to share it with you all) Anyhow...here it is, and I hope you all enjoy it :D

Disney-Princess-In-Disguise: Hello again :D Thank you! Although, if I get virtual diabetes, I blame you -.- ha ha. I'm glad that you liked the last chapter- and I feel really bad that I'm making her go through all this rubbish- but I have to otherwise the story will be rubbish! It is truly a horrible world we live in :D Enjoy this chap and be sure to leave a review :D

UnperfectButLovingIt: Hello. Thank you for the review. And yes...me update...now. See...here it is...now read it...and review...and dance in the rain with a penguin suit on. Yeah. I'm normal...or not...whatever. Just hello.

fictionlover101: Thank you wonderful person! I am glad you are liking the story :D

Roses Roses And More Roses: Do you know what, I know it may seem silly, but that just made my day! I must seem like a really big loser who just writes random stuff- I am, but that's not the point- but that really means a lot to me. So thankyou :D I think this chapter is slightly longer than the others, and I shall take your cookie and eat it and get fatter and develop diabetes. :D I 3 sugar.

Okay, everyone read and enjoy :D

CHAPTER SEVEN

Lily, Peter, Remus, Potter and Black were sat opposite Dumbledore, who was watching me intently. I was currently destroying Dumbledore's office whilst ranting murderously.

"-and I had...it had all the bloody answers- I could have been home now! I could have been home. I could be mourning my brother...I could have been home! I'm Doctor for crying out frigging loud...I don't belong here! And now I'm stuck! Forever!"

"Don't you think you're being a tad bit over dramatic?"

I grabbed Potter's robes and shook him violently. "No, Potter I don't!_ I_ don't think you're being dramatic _enough_! I am living a nightmare, right now...a living. _Waking. Nightmare._ And there is no way out of this! _This_ is my _nightmare_!"

"Professor- she's deranged. We need to get her to St Mungos!" Lily exclaimed, looking seriously worried for me and my mental well being.

"You read part of the book. So what do you know?" Dumbledore addressed me, ignoring her and the others.

"Yes I have...but Black and McKinnon started having a public orgy before I could read anything interesting!" I shot Black a disgusted look before continuing, ignoring Dumbledore's shocked look. "All I have is the fact that this woman...heavens only knows her name...cast some sort of spell on herself. And that a bloke called Leonodias is in a similar situation to me. Of course, if I had been able to read the rest, I would have known all of this and much more!" I spoke quickly without pausing.

Peter stood up angrily and slammed his hand down on the desk. I looked up at him, shocked.

"What damn situation?" he roared. I blinked.

_Wow. Peter has balls._

"Yeah...I think you should explain what's going on...in detail." Black added. I scoffed at him and sat down, crossing my arms and legs.

"Given the circumstances, I would have to agree. Adelaide, would you like to explain or shall I?" Dumbledore gave me a piercing look. I sighed and nodded, indicating that I would explain.

"I'm from another world." I blurted out. Pot-Head scoffed, earning himself a glare from both myself and Peter. "Five months ago, I passed out in my own world and I woke up here. I've spent the last five months painstakingly searching for a way to get home...and that book that you burned was the only way out. And now I'm buggered. So thanks." I told them bitterly. Dumbledore looked like he wanted to elaborate, but I stopped him with a pleading look. My past, if nothing else, should remain mine.

"So what's this about?" Lily asked, holding up my I.D pass.

"I'm a Doctor and Professor at Oxford." I frowned. "Or at least I was."

"Oh...ok. You're a doctor." Lily giggled. It was clear she didn't believe me.

"This story makes no sense whatsoever! And what happened to Sirius? What was that spell." Remus suddenly exclaimed.

"Only books have to make sense, Lupin...real life has no such need." I said.

"Ok...Professor Dumbledore, you don't believe any of this do you? It's just plain silly-"

"I have proof that this is true, Miss Evans. And I expect you all to accept this fact. Adelaide is from a world very different from our own. She is a Doctor and she is stuck in this world, now. Of that I am positive." Dumbledore's tone was soft, but there was an edge in it that clearly conveyed that the discussion was over. Lily was bright red from embarrassment now.

"But what about the spell? And the light?" Black asked.

"Ah... invensoldalisvil." We all leaned forwards in our chairs eagerly. "It is an old spell that was used to find and pair soul mates."

It was my turn to snigger in disbelief. "Soul mates?"

"Yes, Adelaide, soul mates. You see when James cast the spell, it hit Sirius. And when it Sirius made physical contact with you...the magic bonded you."

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"What?" we _all_ cried our simultaneously.

"It means that Adelaide and Sirius are soul mates and they are now married." Dumbledore said slowly. Blood was pounding in my ears and my fists were clenched. This could not be happening to me. I didn't even belong here...how the hell could I be married to Black? This was not happening.

It was then that I noticed a thin gold band on my wedding finger. I cried out in rage. All eyes were on my raised hand.

"I've got one too." Black said quietly.

"There has got to be some sort if mistake...these things don't just...happen!" I whined, hoping Dumbledore would agree with me or something. He merely frowned slightly, confirming my worst nightmares- that this was real. That I was now married to Black.

Of course it could happen. I mean, I was in a whole different world, was I not? If that could happen, why couldn't I be married to Black?

"Excuse me. I need some air." I told Dumbledore shakily, my heart beating like steel pans on go-go juice. He nodded at me and let me go.

I stumbled past the stone gargoyles, hardly even noticing where I was going. I was filled with rage, fear and helplessness. How could this be happening to me? Again? I'd already dealt with one marriage that I hadn't wanted to me in...And believe me when I say this will not end well. The last time something like this happened, the second party ended up dead. Whilst it is true that Black isn't a crazy Russian Emperor/drug dealer/dictator/masochist who wants to take over the world... _Black? Really? _My soul mate? How the hell did that happen?

I ran my hands through my long hair and let out a deep sigh.

"Are you alright?" I jumped.

Swivelling on the spot, I came face to face with Black. He looked tired. There were dark circles under his eyes and his usually pristine hair was messy and wild. A lot like mine actually.

"I suppose so." I replied stopping and leaning down on one of the large windowsills. The arched windows were flung wide open, and I relished the feel of the wind hitting my face. I stood there, waiting for him to leave, but he didn't.

"What is it?" I asked scathingly after a moment. Didn't he want to be alone right now?

"Well...maybe we should get this sorted out or something." You had to admit...the idiot had a point.

(SIRIYS POV)

"You're right...absolutely. We need to get it together." She said, her pale fingers tracing the length of the old window frame. The moonlight bathed her face. She looked angelic...ethereal. I smiled. Ethereal. She was ethereal. She was completely out of this world; literally. "What?" she looked at me questioningly. My eyes were on her lips.

"Nothing." I whispered, feeling my hands clamming up. _Shit._ I'm married.

...

I'm married. To Adelaide.

I grinned. I'm married to Adelaide Petrova.

Discreetly, I touched the gold wedding ring on my left hand, feeling a thrill of..._something_ shoot through me.

"Hello!" Adelaide was waving her arms about like a numpty.

"What? Oh...yeah...yeah. What you said." I replied idiotically. Damn. I need to pay attention.

"_Retard_...I said we need to figure out a way to break this spell...or curse, or whatever it is." She spoke with such confidence, that I was in half a mind to nod in agreement...in fact I did. And then I realised what she's just said.

"B-break it?" she looked at me as though I was an idiot.

"Yeah. What else do you suppose we do?" she made wild gestures with her hands. "_Live with it"_ I scowled.

That was _exactly_ what I was suggesting.

"Exactly." She replied knowingly, completely missing my point.

"Hold on a second...if we're meant to be soul mates...shouldn't we stay together?"

Adelaide swivelled on the spot and set me down with a cold, hard glare. "No we really, shouldn't." My mouth formed a silent 'o'. I'd have to turn on the old, Sirius Black charm, or I'd be a seventeen year old divorcee in the very near future.

"Besides...there might be dangerous side effects to this." She added, sighing quietly. A strand of hair had escaped from her dark ponytail and now lay limp by her cheek. My hands were just itching, to creep forward and tuck it behind her ear.

"What kind of side effects?" I asked huskily, my eyes on her lips now.

She swallowed nervously. "I might kill you."

I chuckled. And the sad thing was, she really might kill me. I had no idea why she hated me so much...but the animosity was there for sure.

I looked back up at her and smiled. "What are we going to do if we can't break it?"

"It won't come to that." She replied, turning away from me and staring defiantly out the window. I took position next to her. For a moment, I too stared out into the night, admiring the stars, searching through until I came to Sirius: the Dog Star. I grinned. The irony was too much. "There is no way in hell that I am going to let that happen." I won't pretend that that didn't sting.

I sensed that she was watching me. Satisfaction washed through me.

I wasn't in love with Adelaide Petrova. But I would be. It was only a matter of time...and even a self confessed player like me could see that. And she _definitely _wasn't in love with me. But again, it was only a matter of time. I mean, who else could stab me and still turn me on like this?

We were...we _are_ meant for each other.

And right now...here, basking in the glow of the waning moon, we were where we truly belonged; with each other.

(ADELAIDE POV)

I woke up with a scream loud enough to wake the living dead. Pain, like hot knives, sliced through my skin. I was going to die.

My hands, my feet, my whole body shook with fear and excruciating pain as I stood up slowly.

"Oh, God." I whispered, clutching at my stomach. _What was this? What was happening to me?_

"Petrova- what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just go back to bed Alice." I swatted...or at least I tried to swat at her. I stumbled back, nearly falling onto my bed mid effort. In a flash, Alice was next to me, holding onto my upper arms. I could hear the others whispering in frightened voices somewhere.

"Clearly it isn't noth-"

"She's doing it for the attention. Just leave her alone. She'll go to bed eventually." Marlene sneered from her bed.

"Piss off." I growled, as another burst of pain ripped through me. My eyes rolled back and for a moment I saw nothing but blackness.

"She's going to die!" Alice cried out. Even in my current less than well state, I rolled my eyes. Alice needed a good slap.

And then there was a pull. It was in my chest.

Black.

It was the fucking spell. _Every second away from her was like being skinned alive._

That's what Leonodias had written in his book. And this...whatever it was, was exactly what Leonodias had experienced. _Maybe, Black is feeling the same thing._

And sure enough, an almighty roar resounded through the night. He was in pain. I could feel it.

"What the hell was that?" Mary demanded, but was ignored.

"_It's ok._" I muttered quietly, somehow sure that he would hear it...that he would feel it.

"Adelaide, what's wrong? Is it the spell?" Lily whispered in my ear, stroking my hair comfortingly. I nodded through a whimper. "Ok. What do I need to do?" she asked me, her voice low and steady.

"T-take...take me to him." I ordered throatily. She nodded wrapped her arm over my shoulder.

"Lily!" Marlene chastised with shock. "What are you doing?"

"_What do you think I'm doing? _I'm helping her to the hospital wing." Lily replied, her temper starting to get the better of her.

Marlene scoffed at this. "This is ridiculous. _She's attention seeking!"_

"Marlene! JUST SHUT UP!" Lily roared, unleashing her wrath. "You guys...just get to bed. I'll take care of this." She added in a softer tone. For a moment, Marlene looked like she was about to argue. However, she thought better of it and stomped back to her bed. The others followed shortly afterwards.

We were met in the hallway by Peter who looked, quite frankly, scared shitless. I could sympathise with him, given the circumstances.

"Where the fuck is, Black?" I snarled like a rabid beast. It was irrational...but I needed him..._now_.

"He's in there." Peter squeaked, pointing at the open door leading to the boy's dorm. Even from here, we could hear Black's groans and screams.

Lily and Peter practically carried me to the boy's dorm. As soon as I passed the threshold, like magic, the pain dissipated. I looked up to see Black, sprawled out on his bed, wearing only a pair of maroon pyjama bottoms, heaving for breath on his four-poster bed. Similarly I too was panting. My whole body was shaking and I was weak.

I knew that Potter and Remus were in the room too, but I ignored them...knowing I wouldn't feel better until I was closer to Black. In some, still rational and thinking part of my brain, this dependency on Black disgusted me greatly. However, right now, I needed to heal. And if Sirius Black was the way to go, then there was nothing I could do about it.

Breaking away from Lily and Peter, I ambled forwards, stumbling when I reached the foot of the bed. He watched me, sweat trickling down both our faces as I crawled onto his bed. I closed my eyes in relief when something...some brilliant sensation washed through me leaving me at peace once again.

"Fucking hell." I heard Black mutter, in a tone that indicated that he had overcome whatever it was that had just occurred. This spell was a serious pain in the arse. Pun intended.

"Bloody spells...different universes...marriages...fits!" Pot-Head grumbled somewhere. _He was pissed? _I'm the one who should be pissed. Hell, I _am_ pissed. I just had some invisible force screwing with me.

"When I can move again, I'm going to bloody kill you, James Potter." I grunted before falling asleep.

The next morning, I was woken by the sun, shining in my eyes. I tried to roll onto my front, but found that there was something keeping me in place. Slowly, I opened my eyes. Peering to my right, I saw a mop of ebony hair. A pair of strong arms were holding me against the owner of said hair.

"Black." I muttered, disturbed at the fact that I actually quiet liked the feel of his body against mine.

Carefully, I attempted to remove his arms off me...and trust me it was not easy. The guy was like pop-eye on steroids _and_ spinach.

When I finally escaped his very well- built arms, I gently pushed his face away from my neck...shivering slightly when I felt his hot breath on the nape of my neck.

_Shit._

_..._

_I had a long sleeved top on, but I was only wearing a pair of very short shorts on the bottom. _

Now that I had detangled myself from Black, I shot up, only to go flying back down again, yelping.

"Where are you going?" Black asked me as I gawked at him very much like a deer caught in headlights. He had yanked me back with his arm, his face still buried in his pillow.

I swallowed. "Well...I need to get ready for classes."

"It's a Saturday, Love." He replied, putting his arm back over my stomach. I edged away from him as far as possible...thoroughly uncomfortable with the contact now that he was awake.

"Right...well I have things to do." I tried to sit up, to no avail. "Like getting dressed." I added, hoping he'd get the hint. Apparently, though, he's as stupid as he is good looking...which is very much so.

"I happen to like what you're wearing." He muttered, nestling his head back against my shoulder. I could feel his lips curling up into an infuriating smile on my shoulder. It irritated me that he was enjoying himself so much.

"Get off!" I yelled, giving him a good kick. He went flying of the other side of the bed, cursing and clutching his leg as he went. Grinning in triumph, I made for the door.

"Come back!" Black roared, leaping on me. He threw his arms around my waist, whilst his upper body held my legs captive. Basically, my arse was all up in his face. Yeah...very unladylike, I know. Or, rather, his face was all up in my arse. I suppose it could go either way.

"What is your problem?" Kicking and squirming with all my might, I managed to hit my head on the door frame. "OW!" I groaned, clutching my head. I could see stars.

"Are you alright?" Black asked, still not releasing me.

"NO! There's a giant ass on top of me!" I growled, silently praying that he'd just leave me alone. Of course, this was me and I had no such luck.

"I. Just. Want. To. Talk. To. You." He ground out narrowly avoiding a punch I had aimed his way.

"Please let me get changed." I asked after a moment, becoming still. It seemed a change of tactic was in order.

He groaned. "Would you just listen to be for a bloody second!"

"WHAT?"

"Do you really think it's a good idea for you to just go off after what happened last night?"

_Oh._ I turned to face him.

"That's a good point." Why hadn't the thought occurred to me? I was usually so good at seeing the bigger picture. "I hadn't thought about that."

"Well, I guessed _that_ bit already." He said, letting go of me and rolling of.

He stood up and went back over to his bed. At the foot of it, there was a trunk- obviously his own- and he opened it up. From it he took a plain black t-shirt and chucked it at me.

I caught it gratefully and quickly pulled it on. My knees went slightly weak as I inhaled the smell of grass and rainy earth.

_Petrichor._ I thought to myself, smiling lightly as I remembered an episode of Doctor Who. _I bet I wouldn't have been married by a stupid spell in Doctor Who._

"This is huge." I told him. The arms went down to my elbows and shirt itself reached below my knees. It was more like a dress than anything.

"I know." He said, appraising me with a smirk. I think he took my slightly vacant expression the wrong way. "The company sent me the wrong size." I made a silent 'o' and sat down Indian style on the bed closest to me.

"Where are the others?" I asked after more than ten minutes of awkward silence. (I had done an awkward turtle, but Black started looking at me strangely after a while.) I was also, trying very, very hard not to stare at Black's toned chest.

"No idea. They left after you fell asleep. By the looks of things," he motioned at the unmade beds, "they didn't come back."

I yawned, stretching my arms up, aware that Black was still watching me. He did that a lot. It's a bit weird. "Probably of with Dumbledore somewhere, telling him that I've put some messed up spell on you to make you die or something. They can be such retards sometimes."

He frowned, his eyes meeting my own. "That's not true." He said, leaning back on his bed.

"Ok, ok...I was being a bit dramatic. But they most likely _are _with Dumbledore. And Potter definitely hates me. _And, _he most definitely is a retard." I had meant it good naturedly, but I don't think he understood my meaning.

"You haven't given him...or anyone, for that matter any reason to like you, Adelaide." I glanced up at him when he said this. Utter confusion was evident in my features. What on earth was he talking about? "I mean...for however long, no one even knows who you are, and then suddenly you start talking to Lily. And then you're very cold towards me...you made boils explode all over me, then you stab me and then this happens. And yesterday, the way you were acting, it was like you'd rather be married to a frog than me! Face it, Adelaide, it all looks very fishy."

"_Fishy?_"

"Yes, _fishy_. Look, James is a good person. Why is it that _you _don't like him? Why is it that you don't like _anyone?_" he was standing in front of me now, hands on his hips, anger clear in his eyes. My own eyes were narrowed with similar sentiments. _Was this guy seriously questioning me about this?_

"So what? I'm anti-social. Bite me." I answered curtly.

"None of it adds up, is what!" he made eye contact with me again. "You told me your parents were _dead!_ That's low."

I scoffed in disbelief. Jumping up from the bed, I gave him the haughtiest look I could muster and mirrored his own stance. I could not believe that this...dunderheaded...moronic...thing was saying what he was saying.

"My parents_ are_ dead." I told him venomously, my voice barely even a whisper. "My parents are dead." I took a menacing step towards him to which he stood firm, in a typically Griffindoresk manner. "And for your information, everyone ignored me for two whole months, and then _Lily_ decided to talk to me because _you..._" I jabbed him sharply in the chest. "...had knocked all her little friends out with a sleeping potion. I cast that hex, because you were going around acting like you own the place and that women aren't _people_...but just objects that you can win and do whatever the bloody hell you like with! You know that a knife thing was an accident! Furthermore, why the hell should I be nice to, or even like James Potter, when he's been nothing but mean to me?

And you're damn right I don't want to be married to you! I didn't choose you. I'm not in love with you. Do you know where I was before I ended up in this world?" He didn't say anything, so just went right on, feeling more and more enraged as I continued.

"I spent twelve months in a _fucking_ torture camp! They burned my _fucking_ skin of for information that I didn't bloody have. I had to _fucking_ watch as they tore the skin from my brother's body off...and then I had to watch him die! I had to deliver a child and cut the _fucking_ umbilical cord with my _nails! _Then I had to watch the mother get gang raped and then killed! And some bastard...some _goddamn –fucking-_ _bastard_ used me as his own fucking personal whore! I have dealt with enough marriages that I didn't fucking choose to have, so _excuse me_..._excuse me_, if I don't want the-sun-shine's-out-of-my-fucking-arse Sirius Black. And _excuse_ me, if I don't want to hang out with a bunch of _children_ who have nothing better to do that make someone, who hasn't really done anything, feel even more _shit_ than they already do! And go ahead and sue my arse for wanting to have just an ounce of happiness and a little bit more than _another_ marriage that I have been forced into!" I finished with another angry jab, and not caring if the pain returned, I stomped out of the room, leaving an open mouthed, half naked, Sirius Black.

(((03u39_

Sooo...what are we thinking? Are we liking it? Hating it?

Be honest...just please don't hurt me...


	8. scrap that you're a lot of a man whore

Ding-aling-a-ling-ling. It's me, the author...come to see you all again :D Right, first things first, let me thank all my wonderful reviewers!

Disney-Princess-In-Disguise: Hello wonderful! Thank you for the review- I KNOW! It's horrible! Everyone is so mean to my poor Adelaide- I feel horrid when I write bad stuff to happen to my characters. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

fictionlover101: Hello! I'm really glad that you are liking the story so far and I hope that you enjoy this chapter too!

Roses Roses And More Roses: 'lo lovely. As you may have guesses- I have started reading your fanfic- 'tis very good (I would recommend that you all go and read it 'Siriusly Irish') And EEEP. So glad that I'm messing up your perceptions of characters! It's what I live for darling ;) Anyhow, enjoy this chapter and be sure to leave a review :D

CHAPTER EIGHT

As it was, the pain didn't return. However, less than half an hour later, I was called to Dumbledore's office...again.

God how I hoped, Black wouldn't be there.

Of course, just to spite me; he was.

As I took a seat, as far away as possible from him, might I add, Black kept shooting me small nervous glances. Personally I had no idea why I had told him...well more like shrieked at him anything that I had this morning. And now, I was reaping the awkwardness that was a result of my temper tantrum.

Dumbledore smiled knowingly and fixed both me and Black with an understanding look over his half moon spectacles.

And you just _know,_ that shit is gonna go down, when _Dumbledore_ looks over his half moon spectacles at you.

"Your friends told me about last night." He said, breaking the silence but not the tension.

"Really? They did? _Shock, gasp, horror_." I replied, snarkily.

"Yes." Dumbledore peered at me with a small frown on his face. "I've done some research."

He pulled out a thin parchment folder and handed it to Black. Apparently I wasn't good enough for crappy Hogwart's folders.

"Know now, that there is no way out of this marriage, short of murder." Dumbledore said. Hmm...at this point...murder/suicide didn't sound all that bad. "I did some research..." Both I and Black sat up in our chairs at this. "I have a friend, who was in a similar situation to yourselves."

"Is this it?" Black asked, his brow burrowed. He handed the folder to me and looked back at Dumbledore, and unspoken question in his eyes.

"Yes. The rest...you will have to learn as you go."

I took the folder and opened it up. There was a single sheet of parchment inside it. On it, in a green, cursive font was a few short paragraphs.

_**History:**_

_Unknown origin of spell. It was used commonly in the early days of magic for witches and wizards of high social standing who sought life partners. However, by the time the founders came to be, the spell was already a mere legend. It is believed to have been abandoned due to the occurrence of unsuitable bindings- i.e. men and women who were of different classes were sometimes bonded. In the early days, those who married outside of their rank were killed. _

_**Function and theory:**_

_Based on the psychic and subconscious draw of two people, the magic binds the couple together by merging the soul together. The couple, literally become soulmates. Once the spell is cast and the mates have found each other, there is no way to counter it. This is because the spell is sealed with the love and the potential love between the two people. It is an unbreakable bond. The main point of the bond, is to find true love, in its rawest form._

_**Effects:**_

_For every couple there are different effects to the spell, however all recorded incidents report a strange pull between the couple. Depending on the strength of the pull and trust between the couple, the couple will find it incredibly painful to stay away from each other for certain periods of time. As already mentioned, this time period is determined by the pull level and the trust between partners. There is some evidence to suggest that the more the couple trusts and loves each other, the longer the time away from each other is. _

Well. Considering the fact that I have zero trust/love for Black, it looks like we'll soon be joined at the hip.

"Well that's just perfect, isn't it?" I grumbled, setting the folder down on Dumbledore's desk.

"So...where are we to go from here?" Black asked after a moment.

"It is entirely up to you." The headmaster replied to Black, though his eyes were on me. It took me less than a glance to realise he was worried about me.

"How long was it till we started experiencing the pain?" I asked to no one in particular, trying to work it out in my head.

"According to Lily, it was about midnight when it happened." Dumbledore offered.

"_Midnight?_" My eyes widened dramatically. "Seriously? I think we got to bed at around a quarter past eleven."

"So basically we won't even last an hour without being near each other." Black added unhelpfully.

"Unfortunately, yes, that is the case."

"What are we going to do about sleeping arrangements?" I asked, already knowing and dreading the answer.

"Well, I've had a house elf sort you out with a room. It's in the dungeons though, as I felt you might prefer discretion rather than announcing your...ah...predicament to the school." I nodded, feeling the knot in my stomach get tighter and tighter with every breath I took.

"Is that it then? Is there nothing else that we can do?"

"I'm afraid not, Sirius." At this, Dumbledore stood up. "Kim is outside- she'll show you your new dorm."

Both myself and Black stood up, taking this as our cue to leave.

"Oh...and Adelaide?"

"Yes, Professor?"

"Your lessons will commence next week. Meet Madame Pomfrey at seven o'clock next Friday."

"Mistress and Master should follow Kim. Your room be this way." A short, very skinny house elf squeaked as soon as we passed the gargoyles guarding Dumbledore's office.

"Let's go then." I muttered, rolling my eyes at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.

Kim, as it turned out, was not a quiet elf. Not even in the least. And roughly two minutes into our journey, Black lost it.

"SHUT UP!"

"Ki-Kim...i-is –s-sor-ry ...s-s-sir." Black rolled his eyes as the poor elf cowered at my side, clutching onto my robes in terror.

"Oh, give it a rest, Black. The Houselves have to work their little elf arses of all day and night making _your_ life a million times easier. The least you can do is listen to whatever it is that she wants to prattle on about. Or are you that up your own arse that the task is physically impossible?" Ok...maybe I got a bit carried away there, but hey...if not his wife, then who else is supposed to fuck with the guys mind? _Exactly. _

For a moment, he looked like he was going to shout at me. However, I raised an eyebrow in a typical try-that-and-I-will-dice-you-bitchesk way, and he immediately closed his mouth. _Round one to me._ "That's what I thought." I turned back to Kim. "Now, what were you saying about the Hokey and the soufflé?"

"Oh...n-nothing much. Kim was just saying how Hokey took it out of the oven too soon. It tasted very horrible." I smiled at the little creature, admiring her caramel coloured eyes. She was a cute elf...in her own, squeaky, short, elf like way.

"I-is...there a-a *gulp* p-problem...mis-mistress?" The tiny elf squeaked, rubbing her hands together awkwardly.

I laughed, and patted her on the head. "Nope. You have nice eyes is all."

Kim was silent as we all walked almost silence. It was only after a while that I realised that her bat like ears were slightly more perked up, and that she was wearing a grin bigger than her head did I realise the full extent of my small compliment. All of a sudden, I felt a wave of _s.p.e.w_ pride. When I had read the books, I'd thought the group was stupid...hell I still don't know what it stands for...but it's decided. House elves are cool. _Cool like ice-cubes_.

Yuck...I'm going to start using words like 'radical' and 'spaz' at this rate.

"We are here, Mistress and Master." Kim said, coming to a stop in front of a picture of a large grandiose building. It was Greek in style, with large pillars supporting the central, main building. "This is a painting of the-"

"The Bolshoi Theatre." I cut across Kim, smirking.

"How do you know?"

"Because, _Black_, I set it on fire once." I replied to an awed Black, grinning.

Kim gave us each a small gold key that would give us entrance to our quarters. I had hoped that the lovable elf would stay whilst we looked around, but once she had realised the time, she'd ran off like she was being chased by a madman.

"That's strange." Black commented, shoving the key into its hole on the wall. He fiddled around with it for a second before I pushed him unceremoniously out of the way.

"There we go. Not that hard was it?" I snarked, pushing open the door.

I gasped.

Before us, was a grand, circular room with a huge fireplace. Around the fire, there was a loveseat and a couple of squashy arm chairs, all in the same reddish brown hue. Above the fire sat a painting of an old man with bushy white eyebrows, leaning busily over a piece of parchment that ended at his feet. The walls were decorated entirely by what looked like a hand painting of some sort of fire. Everywhere I looked, there were beautiful swirls of glittering gold and angry reds. On the opposite side of the room there stood a magnificent view of the lake.

We stood there, side by side, basking in the mid afternoon light showering the room.

"Wow." I breathed, a faint smile on my lips. _The silver lining, I suppose._

"That's a bit of an understatement there, Petrova." Black said amazement clear in his tone. "Bloody hell, even my _parents_ would be impressed by this place." He turned to face me with a smile on his face. "And trust me, _that_ is no mean feat!" I rolled my eyes. _I'm sure they must just be _impressed_; what with me being a...whatever blood I was and all._

"Let's look around." I told him, not wanting to pry too much about his family- he was after all, not on the best of terms with his folk...and he is after all, _a good guy._

I swear that that is my new mantra!

If I had thought the common room was grand and majestic, then I don't know what I thought of the bedroom. It was circular in shape and the walls were draped completely with burgundy and gold, floral curtains. There was a man size gothic archway that led onto a balcony. And bang in the centre of the large room, there was a king-size four-poster bed that was, again, clad in red and gold material. On both sides of the bed, there was a bedside table made of rich mahogany wood t match that of the bed. On the left hand side there was mahogany door that lead into a bathroom, complete with a Jacuzzi style bathtub and a gold sink and toilet set. Opposite the bathroom there was another door that lead to a walk in closet. There were two wardrobes that held our respective clothes and a vanity table made of mahogany and gold. Apparently these peeps liked their mahoganies and golds.

"Dumbledore, as sure as hell didn't hold back this time, did he?" Black grinned as he launched himself onto the bed.

"_You're telling me."_ I replied with distaste. The fact that there was only _one_ bed did not escape my notice. "That guy really has balls, doing this."

"Doing what?" Black asked, to which I motioned towards the bed angrily, red sparks shooting from the tip of my wand.

"Ah. I see." He sat up, his expression all of a sudden very serious. No pun intended.

"Yes. What are we going to do?"

"I don't think there is much that we can do. I mean, you felt it last night- we _need_ to be together, otherwise it just-"

"I know." I admitted, cutting across Black. "I know what it feels like. I get that this-whatever it is- pulls us together, but I don't like it...at all." Black scowled at this, and then furrowed his brow as though he were thinking very hard about something.

"We need to talk." He sighed after almost a quarter if an hour later.

"_You think?_" I rolled my eyes, not impressed with this anti-climatic conclusion on his part. "That's what we're doing, retard."

"No. I mean about this morning."

...

"Well?"

...

I turned around and walked to the door. I knew my big mouth would come back and bite me in the arse someday..._again._

"Adelaide!" he called, jumping out of the bed and bounding after me. "Just...please. We are stuck with each other for what seems to be forever- just please let me talk to you. Let's be mature about this instead of running away like frightened little kids."

_Mature? MATURE?_ How dare this...maraudering, delinquent...posse leader _wannabe_, lecture ME on maturity! I'M A FUCKING DOCTOR! I reek of maturity! He's a fucking dog half-breed...animagus thingamajig! _Clearly_ there is something wrong with the universe!

"What. Did. You. Just. Say?" I growled through my teeth, rounding on him, my wand raised. To my credit, he looked pretty scared _shitless_ at this point.

"Whoa...let's put the wand-" he slowly reached an arm out and lowered my wand. _The impudent little bastard._ "-down. What I meant was; that I want to do right by you."

I stared at him. _Do right by me?_

"You want to...what?" I spluttered.

"I want to make this work. I want to make you happy."

"Ohhh...You want to make me happy." I replied nonchalantly.

He stared at me.

I burst into hysterical laughter.

"Y-You...you w-w-want t-to...you...you...happ-y-y...you..." I couldn't help it. Sirius Black- man whore of the century- wanted to make a nonexistent relationship between us work.

"Why is this funny?" Black snapped after a moment. "_How_ is this funny?"

It took me a whole ten minutes to stop laughing and then another whole ten minutes for Black to stop glaring at me.

"So...do tell, what was so funny about me trying to make an honest wom-"

"No-no. Don't finish the sentence...cause I might just die of laughter." he glared again. "And apparently, you don't like being laughed at."

"Who does?" he snapped back.

"Not many people, but considering how you don't mind laughing at others, I thought I'd test the waters. Turns out you're a hypocrite." Yeah...take that bitch.

"Just stop. Please just stop." Black growled, running his hands through his smooth hair. Damn...I really want his hair.

"Are you even listening to me, Adelaide?"

"Sorry. I blanked for a second. Stop what?"

"Acting like I'm the antichrist or something!" he actually stomped his feet on the ground -and this dude was telling me off for my lack of maturity!

"I'm not. You're not nearly clever enough to be the antichrist." I said, delighting in Blacks thoroughly put out expression.

"Adelaide...please." he breathed. I sighed and nodded, giving him my silent word. "I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Did Black just say..._sorry_? To me?

"About earlier. I'm sorry. I started accusing you of...well I have no idea what I was accusing you of...but you didn't deserve it and I'm sorry." Black stood there, staring at his feet, struggling to get the words out of his mouth.

"It's ok."

"No it's not. All that stuff that you said...all that stuff...is it true?"

I looked up at him- he was a good head or so taller than me- and gave him a sad smile. "What do you think?"

"I'm sorry." He whispered hoarsely.

"I know you are." I said, turning away from him. And before I knew it, before I even had a chance to blink, his arms were around me, holding me close to him. Without meaning to, I inhaled his tantalising grassy scent and leant back into him. "I know you don't trust me. I know you don't even like me most of the times, but I'm right here." He whispered, his chin pressed against the top of my head. "I'm right here...all you ever have to do is turn around, love. You can trust me. I won't hurt you. _Ever_. And when you want to talk, I'll be there for you." _Damn, this kid is goooood._

"You really are one of the good guys." I snorted after a while, deciding that it was silly of us to just stand there...hugging.

"Was there really any doubt?" he smirked in what I assumed was supposed to be a sexy way.

"No there wasn't...but you have to admit you can be a right jackarse."

"When am I?" he demanded indignantly, letting go of me. This guys ego was gonna kill me, I swear.

"Like...every time you even breath in the direction of a girl." He gapped like a fish at this. "Come on Black, you're a bit of a man whore. No scrap that- you're a lot of a man whore."

-7009089-

Now, I realise that this is blowing my own trumpet a bit- but I really love that last line! Poor Sirius- I am so indirectly mean to him!

Anyhow my wonderful little monkeys- what did you all think? Please, please leave a review as I do love reviews and I do love you guys- I mean you guys do the math. Reviews that I love + You guys, who I also love = superduper love...And you know what Dumbledore said: "You are protected, in short, by your ability to love!" If you guys want to protect yourselves from evil- you need to send me love in the form of reviews! It may be the only way that we will survive this :P

Peace out and- for those of you who celebrate Christmas: Merry Christmas- and those who don't- like me- Happy Holidays!

And a Happy new Year too :D


	9. Believe in him

Hello all- I had a bit of spare time today- yay!- so I got quilling

Thank you to all who reviewed chapter 8- you're reviews made my day!

So here without further ado:

CHAPTER NINE

I was sat at the Gryffindor table, slowly swallowing spoonfuls of soup trying to ignore the looks I was getting. Black, you see was sat next to me, glaring at anyone who so much as looked at me. As you can imagine...there was a lot of glaring.

"What do you mean that there isn't anything that you can do?" Pot-Head whispered in a not so subtle way. I mean, it would be less conspicuous if he was holding a neon signpost or something over our heads saying 'Just Married.' Subconsciously, I adjusted the bandage I had wrapped around my left hands middle and ring finger.

"It means that we're married forever. It isn't that hard a concept, Prongs." Black replied for the seventh time as he shot Henry Peters a withering look. If I was into boys, I'd have considered it a shame. Peters had a nice behind.

"But why are you so calm about it!" the bespectacled boy hissed, his volume borderline shouting. People were _really _beginning to stare now.

"Give it a rest Pot-Head; it looks like Black's breaking up with you." I drawled, adding to Potter's anger.

"Fuck off, Petrova." The boy growled at me.

"Don't be an incompetent loser all your life." I smirked, still not looking up.

"Leave her alone." I wasn't expecting _that_.

Everyone near us stopped what they were doing and looked frantically between me, Black and Potter. This sort of thing was high profile news here, I suppose.

"Sirius." Said Potter, some unspoken question in his hazel orbs.

"Just leave it will you, mate?" Black gave his best friend a weak smile that roughly translated as_ I'll tell you later._ The effect, of course was immediate. Potter backed down, and proceeded to inhale a plateful of food.

"_That_ is disgusting." Lily said, shooting a repulsed glance as Potter and sitting down opposite me and next to Remus.

"So what happened last night?" she asked. I could feel her gaze on me, but I refused to look up. Instead, Remus answered, filling Lily in on the latest.

"And Dumbledore isn't doing anything else about it?" she demanded in a disbelieving tone.

"He can't Evans...it's not something that can be undone." Black replied.

"Which brings us back to the fact that Potter is a loser." Naturally, I was ignored by everyone but Potter, who spared a minute to glare at me...again.

"So you're just going to take this lying down then?" Remus asked.

"No. We're accepting the fact that we're meant to be together."

"No!" I said heatedly, scowling at Black. "I'm not accepting anything- and I don't know what drug induced trip you're on, but we are most certainly _not_ meant to be together! I _will_ find a way to get out of this...and get home."

"Well go on then! _No one wants you here anyway!"_ Potter yelled as though I had directly insulted him.

"Actually I do." Black told his friend matter of factly. Dear lord, what I would do to be able to curse these idiots into next week!

"No one cares, mate. She's a fricking psycho!"

"James, maybe we should calm down and listen to Siri-" Remus attempted to reason but was ignored.

"Yeah, what Moony said! Calm down and leave Adelaide alone." Peter piped up.

"Lets go to the Library and look into the spell-"

"I don't want to look into the spell, Evans. As far as I'm concerned; this is it."

"Are you bloody insane? Petrova is a bitch! You're too young-"

"James- I really don't get what your problem is! This whole thing is your fault. And Adelaide is not a bitch! She's just having a hard time at the-"

"Which is exactly why I refuse to let you ruin your life. Just because you feel guilty it doesn't mean that you-"

I took a deep breath, suddenly finding a new appreciation for the fact that I'd grown up around adults. _Is this how teenagers always acted? So...emotional?_

"SHUT UP!" I yelled, standing up and throwing my fists onto the table.

The whole hall went silent. Literally everyone was looking at me.

"Not you lot." I rolled my eyes and gestured to the rest of the hall. "You lot just keep doing what you're doing." I waited until everyone gradually went back whatever it was they'd been doing and rounded on Potter, Black, Remus and Lily. "Now you all know I'm not one for subtlety, so I'm just gonna go right ahead and put it all out there." I said with a dangerous glint in my voice. "This is _your_ fault." I jabbed a finger at Potter who gapped like a fish. "You are the complete and utter retard who read out that spell and you are the reason that I am tied to this prick." I nodded towards Black, who just glared. "We can't undo this right now, so me and Black are stuck like this. _Me _and_ Black_ are stuck like this. Not anyone else...just me and him. It isn't anyone else's problem...do you understand me?"

"I've known Sirius a lot longer than you have. And I'm his friend. He's my _brother._" Potter replied angrily. For a moment, I wanted to back down and apologise. Only for a moment though. I wasn't the bad guy here.

"Yes, yes, that's all very touching and sentimental...but I am married to _it_. Indefinitely. And that is hard enough mate, without you guys constantly sticking your oars in...So could you all just leave it alone?" I had to fight to keep my voice level. I could feel the familiar reigns of anger tugging at me.

"We're all in this together. We won't leave Sirius alone." Remus said, looking deep into my eyes.

"I am not asking you to. I am asking you to let us handle this by our selves." I said, not breaking eye contact.

"Let us help."

"This isn't fair." I whispered...seriously close to tears.

"No one wants you and Sirius together- so let us help and then we can all go back to not talking to each other." Potter said.

"That might be the single most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say." I replied, sighing in defeat. I didn't want to spend time with any of them, but if it got me out of this quicker, than I was all game. "Then let's not let anyone else know about this little...predicament?" The others nodded in agreement- accept Black of course, but naturally I ignored him.

"Then it's sorted?" Remus asked, looking relieved.

"No it's not."

"Always the drama queen." I muttered, as Black took a deep breath.

"Just...give me a chance Adelaide." He gazed into my eyes earnestly, disconcerting me.

"I-ah..."

"Don't be stupid!" Potter exclaimed before I could stutter any more unintelligible crap. "Padfoot...what are you saying, man? You can't want this!" Black opened his mouth as though to say something, but was distracted by something akin to a loud squawking noise.

"_Siri_-_poo_!" We all turned and faced towards the direction of the disturbance.

_Marlene._

"Hello, sweetie. Where have you been? Maybe we should carry on where we left of yesterday?" Marlene said, wiggling her arse in my face as she flounced over and dropped herself into Black's lap. Mary and Alice sat down next to Potter and began daintily putting mere morsels of food onto their plates.

"Marlene...I think we should talk." Black told her nervously, trying to push her off.

"Yeah...totally. We can talk later." She murmured, nibbling on his ear. _They were in the middle of the hall for crying out loud! People were trying to eat! Heck..._I_ was trying to eat!_

Lily gave them both a disgusted look that mirrored my own.

"No- I really think we should talk now." He said, looking very uncomfortable. He was sending me apologetic glances...as if I actually cared. I snorted and stood up, not caring to continue this conversation any longer.

"I'm going to the library now." I said for the benefit of Black. As much as I hated the idea, it was important that we both knew each other's whereabouts at all times in case of another episode like last night. I stood up and began walking away from the group.

"What do you want us to do about it?" Marlene hissed sadistically, removing herself from Black's face. And I seriously believe that she was trying to kill me with her eyes just then. I stopped just by Potter and gave her a once over, clearly displaying my disgust.

"Basically it's code for _Siri-poo_ to come and ravish me behind some bookshelves when he's done dumping you." I drawled in a bored tone. It was childish I know, but Marlene's instant reaction was well worth it. "See he's not satisfied at the moment."

"Oh, you vicious little bitch!" she shrieked, grabbing a goblet and throwing it at me with all her might. I let out a shriek of my own when cool, pumpkin orange coloured liquid drenched me. All around me students began laughing and pointing. _Maybe it wasn't worth it after all._

I wiped the juice from my eyes and smirked evilly. "Oh. You are so going to get it now." I laughed manically, stepping towards her. I pushed Black out of my way and picked up a jug of gravy. Slowly, grinning all the while, I poured it over her head. She screamed, stamping her feet on the ground and crying like a baby. Dayam...that felt _good_.

"My hair!" she squealed, trying to remove the gooey substance from her usually pristine locks. I laughed at her and began to walk away.

"I told you she was a bitch!" Potter yelled. I turned just in time to see him throwing the contents of his mug at me. My mouth opened in shock and I felt warm liquid slide down my throat. Once again, I wiped liquid from my eye with my wet hands. A pointless exercise, I know. _Why was everyone throwing things at _me_?_

"JAMES!" Black roared, punching his friend in the arm. "That was out of order!"

"Not really." Potter replied. Black said something else but I didn't hear, because I was feeling lightheaded.

"STUDENTS!" someone shouted. It sounded a bit like McGonagall.

My heart was racing and having palpitations. Within seconds I was finding it difficult to see. Everything was blurring, though I could faintly hear shouting.

"Potter...w-what was in t-that cup?" I croaked out, sitting down haphazardly and sending plates and chicken drumsticks crashing to the ground. I groaned, clawing at my hands and face. Even with my distorted vision, I could make out the red splodges appearing on my skin. I didn't think Potter had heard me. I was about to call out again, but I was finding it difficult to breath.

"_Shit!_" I felt someone wrap their arms around me. "Adelaide...tell me what's wrong, love."

"Cup...coffee...can't...breathe..." I gasped, only just making out a pair of stormy grey eyes. Sirius's eyes.

"Professor!" he yelled, rocking me in his arms. I closed my eyes, and concentrated on breathing, enjoying the comfort of the rocking motion. "Shhh...it's going to be fine, love. I'm right here."

And then everything went dark.

"Hello, angel."

I swivelled on my heels to find myself looking straight at Nikolai. He was wearing the same faded jeans and t-shirt that I had last seen him in. He was also holding a gold necklace again. I smiled sadly, walking slowly towards him.

Looking around, I saw that we were in the countryside. All around us there were hills and trees. Nikolai was sitting with his legs apart on a wall. _That's odd. Why didn't I notice where we were last time?_

"Nikka." I whispered, sitting down next to him. I was in my Hogwarts robes, I realised.

"Alina. How have you been, little one?" he asked, patting me on the head.

"I'm married." I replied bitterly. "And I think I just died from a coffee overdose."

Nikolai snorted. "Of course you haven't died. I vould be very upset if you had. And _again_? Vat is it viv you and getting married, pumpkin?" It wasn't funny, but I couldn't help but grin a little.

"Hey!" I poked him in the arm. "The first time, I was forced into it by a creepy overlord and the second time I was forced into it by a bloody spell!" All of a sudden, Nikolai's playful expression disappeared.

"I know, little one."

"Do you?"

He smiled softly. "Yes, Alina, I do know. I've been vatching you."

"How? Why? Are you even real?"

"Of course I am." He told me, taking on of my hands in his own. "I am real. And this...it is really happening. I've been right here-" he nudged my forehead with his hand. "-since the second I died. I've missed you...and Nathanial."

"I don't understand." I whispered. "How is this happening? And, why am I here? Why am in Potter world?"

"I cannot tell you, little one. He replied, frowning slightly." I turned away from Nikolai as he spoke, not wanting him to see my angry tears.

"Will I see you again?" I asked after a long silence.

"Yes."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Nikka...do you know a way to break the spell?" I held my breath already knowing the answer.

"Vere izn't a vay. It sounds silly, little one, but you vere meant to be together. You have a bond so powerful that I don't know a vay to break it." He looked me in the eyes and spoke gravely. "Don't throw away your chance at love and happiness."

"I don't love Sirius Black. I hardly know him." Tears were streaming down my face at this point. Why didn't they get it? Why did they not understand that I wasn't made for love?

"I know. But you vill. You vould not be bonded overvise. Just believe in love, little one. Believe in him."

I wanted to ask Nikolai how he knew all of this, but even as my lips parted to speak, my vision began going fuzzy and I felt something pulling me.

)))))))00000((((((((

Soooooo, what did you all think?

Leave a review- you know you want to! And have a good xmas and/or holiday.


	10. Should I tell him?

Howdy y'all. Had some free time, so, here I am with another chapter- I'm on a roll these days, so just take it as a good thing and run with it :D

_**Sooo, I was thinking, that I want to start a blog. I'm not sure exactly what I would write about- well that's a lie, I have a ton of ideas, but they all seem stupid after I have written them and then re-read them. Anyhow, I was wondering, would guys be interested in me writing a blog and if so, do you have any helpful topic suggestions?**_

**Roses Roses And More Roses:** Do you know what, I've started thinking a bit ahead, and I have some really exciting things planned for Sirius and Adelaide's relationship! I'm not going to say anymore about it, because I'm really excited, AND I have really big mouth. Crush on James? Oh no, I must have completely killed your perception of him! To be honest with you, I never really thought about James and Lily all that much. Then I started reading Fanfiction and I just kind of went crazy with the knowledge that I can make the characters however I like! I can't tell you how long he's going to be like this for, so just enjoy the chapter and let me know what you thought and be patient! It is a virtue after all. :P

**Bird of the Summer**: Wow! You are so nice to me! I love you now! I'm really glad that you are enjoying the story- I have to be honest, I absolutely LOVE writing it! That was also one of my fav parts! Thank you again for your wonderful review- it's things like this that convince me that _yes,_ one day I _will_ have written a novel, all new and shiny of own. Enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think, wonderful.

_**talyag:**_ Hello! I'm so chuffed that you like my story despite it not being your usual type- it truly means the world to me. I hope you like this chapter and let me know what you think about it. Thank you for your wonderful review and enjoy!

Without further ado:

**CHAPTER TEN**

My eyes fluttered open as gentle beams of moonlight bathed the room. I tried to swallow, but my mouth was parched. Trying to move, I realised that Black was curled up next to me. Like last time, he had me nestled in his arms. Even in the limited light, I could make out the dark, unforgiving bags under his eyes.

Groaning, I tried to wriggle out of his arms.

"Black." I croaked when I failed to set myself free. "Black, wake up."

I giggled as Black snorted in his sleep and nestled his head closer to me. I rolled my eyes. I was supposed to be getting him away from me...not closer to me.

"C'mon, Black, wake up." I moaned, nudging him with my leg. He grunted in his sleep and pulled me closer still. I let out a low hiss as his arm draped over my right side. A sharp stinging sensation raked my entire right side. My body twitched madly as I tried to make the pain stop.

"Wh-wha..." Black shot up, taking me with him, sending another fresh wave of pain through me. I let out a distorted yell. "Shit...sorry." he said, letting go of me.

The relief was instantaneous; no sooner had he let go, my body relaxed and the stinging died down to a bear throb. I sat there, breathing heavily with my eyes closed for a moment, trying to calm my racing heart.

"Sorry, love. Are you ok, now?"

"M'fine." I mumbled, letting Black help me into a more comfortable position. He sat down next to me and rubbed his eyes in a tired fashion. I watched with a slight frown as his dark locks bounced with every move, reflecting the soft light of the moon.

"I know I'm beautiful, but do you really have to stare?"

I replied by fixing him with a glare that would have killed a lesser man.

"How long have I been out for then?" I asked, after a long awkward silence. Although my glare hadn't incinerated Black, like I had hoped, it _had_ killed any conversation.

"A week today."

My eyes widened..._A week?_ That meant that the term was almost finished.

"And you've been here all this time?"

"Pretty much...Dumbledore told everyone that I'm ill with a 'particularly severe' strand of flu. It's a load of rubbish obviously, but I don't think that anyone's any wiser about what's actually going on." He gave me classic Sirius Black grin. "Except Marlene...she has a theory that you've put some sort of a spell on me."

"Maybe she should have some buddy-buddy time with Pot-Head- I'd love to see her reaction when she finds out that it wasn't me who put the spell on you; but Pot-Head, Gryffindor's most -and I use the term loosely- eligible bachelor." I snorted, causing Black to smirk.

"You're being very mean. James has been up here every day- he's practically been living here." His tone was playful, but even an idiot could read the underlying message. He was asking for forgiveness, for both himself and Potter. "And besides...the kid's got it rough- what with being completely enamoured with a girl he wouldn't be able to get, even in a million years!"

"Sirius Black, you don't give him enough credit. What on earth makes you think that he couldn't get Lily, _even _in a_ million _years_?_"

"Don't tell me you're on his side now!" be barked with appreciative laughter. "And in answer to your question- have you not yet noticed that Evans absolutely hates James. She'd rather go out with..._Peter_ than she would dear old Prongs." I swatted his arm.

"Peter happens to be a very goo-nice person." I had been about to say good...but was that even right? Wouldn't Peter go on to betray his best friends?

"He is...I think we overlook him sometimes, though. He's a good person- and a great friend...but we rarely give him the opportunity to be one." He's become very serious now. "Before you came along, none of us really paid him much attention. He used to get all excited because of the pranks that me James would pull and stuff, but he just seems be much...better now. "

I smiled and sighed. Peter. Peter is still Peter. He isn't evil...yet.

"You know, he's so protective of you. He nearly tore James's head off when he heard that you were in the here. He just ran right at him and started kicking and punching. In all the time I've known him- no matter what we'd do to him, he's never-not even once- stick up for himself. But you? He'd be willing to murder his own friend for." He was staring intently at me now. There was a shadow of some dark, aggressive emotion in his features. At first it frightened me, but the more I looked at him, the more it enticed me. I could almost reach out and touch it. "He's a good friend."

Peter. Not a bad boy. _Just a bad man._

"Yes, Black, he is."

"Anyway, the fact is that you're ok- and for that I'm grateful." He gave me an intense look; his eyes smouldering with passionate emotion. I swallowed, suddenly feeling very hot.

"Me too. It's not very fun nearly dying of coffee allergies." I laughed nervously, unable to break his mesmerising gaze.

"Tell me something." He whispered after a while of more awkward silence.

I gave him a puzzled look, not understanding his meaning. "Tell me something that no one else knows."

I blushed bright red. Why was he asking such an embarrassing question? It's was a good thing it's dark in here!

"You can trust me." He breathed after a moment, his voice light and husky. For some reason I believed him. I nodded breathlessly, fighting the urge to lean into him. "Give me a chance." He whispered, brushing his hand against mine. I took a deep breath and searched the corners of my mind frantically in search of something to distract me from...him. "Give me a chance, love. You know you want to." He was tracing patterns up my arm now. Every bit of my body was on fire.

_Believe in him._ Nikka's word's came back to me. _Don't give up on your chance at happiness._

"I'm scared of butterflies." I blurted out after a long silence.

"Wha-huh?"

"For God's sake, Sirius, I'm scared of Butterflies. If you tell anyone, I will castrate you." I growled, jabbing him sharply in the chest with my finger.

"Butterflies?" he grinned, taking me in his arms and leaning back.

"Sh'up." I mumbled, my cheeks turning a bright shade of scarlet. "They're horrible...with their flappy-ness and wings and just they are evil."

"Don't worry- your secret is safe with me."

By the time morning came round, Sirius and I were still talking. It was strange- we were just prattling on about silly, inconsequential things- but since I had come to this new world, it had been the best night I'd had. It was the first time I could just relax and act like an idiot...with a _friend_.

When Madame Pomfrey came in, bustling about with various bottles of potions, she immediately began scolding Sirius.

"Honestly, Mr Black, I remember specifically telling you to come and find me if she woke up! It really wasn't that taxing a task!" she huffed at him, pushing him out of the ward and pulling the curtains shut forcefully. "Mrs Black...please remove your clothes."

"M-Mrs Black?" I spluttered, completely dazed. Though, I noted bitterly, I suppose she's right. I am, technically, _Mrs_ Black. I heard Sirius snigger behind the curtains.

Muttering furiously to myself, I removed my top, leaving me in only a pair of jammie bottoms and my bra. I flinched slightly as the matron gasped in horror.

"How did you get those?" she demanded, immediately tracing her expert hands over my back.

"I was in a fire." I lied quickly.

The matron gave me a stern stare and pursed her lips. "Young, lady, I am a trained medi-witch; I know what burn scars look like."

_Shit. I didn't think of that. _

"I never said they were burn scars. That-" I pointed at my back. "-is the result of having half a building collapsing on me."

"Does it ever hurt?" she asked, prodding the tender skin roughly, sending throbs of pain through me.

"It does when you _do that! _" I half snapped, half hissed.

"There's been damage to your nervous system." Pomfrey said, to which I rolled my eyes.

"I'm aware of the fact." I retorted. Ever since the skin had healed, I had become limited in movement and I could no longer sleep on my right side. Hence the reason why I had been in so much pain when Black had touched me there.

"If you are aware, why have you failed to report it to me? I have a potion to repair the damage to our nerves; however it will require opening the scar wounds. It will be painful to say the least."

...

"Well, I didn't know that there was potion to fix it! I'm a..." _What was I? "_- I'm a something that has limited experience of medical potions. You know Dumbledore said that you were going to give me lessons._"_ My mood was suddenly cheered up slightly at the thought of medical lessons.

"Sit down." She ordered. "Yes. However you were unconscious for the first lesson. You'll have to wait until after the holidays. Wait here."

Without skipping a beat, she parted the hospital white curtains, leaving them slightly apart as she left. I sat down on the bed and began drumming my fingers against my thighs; bored already.

"Adelaide." Sirius whispered.

Two stormy grey eyes met my own.

My heart dropped.

(Sirius pov)

I had been just stood out here for almost a quarter of an hour- Pomfrey was checking on Adelaide. Anyhow, I was trying to listen to what they were saying. Hey, I'm easily bored. Back to the point, I'm trying to hear what's going on. It's not an easy task though.

Someone gasped, and there was a lot of heated mutterings. _Probably Adelaide._ Not that I could blame the poor girl. Pomfrey isn't the most...hospitable person I know. She's probably getting an earful.

"_It does when you do that! "_

"_-scar wounds. It will be painful to say the least." _

"_Well, I didn't know that there was potion to fix it! I'm a- I'm a something that has limited experience of medical potions. You know Dumbledore said that you were going to give me lessons."_

"_Wait here."_

Suddenly the curtains pulled apart and I was met with Pomfrey, muttering angrily to herself. She briskly walked over to her office, so I decided to talk to Adelaide and try to make sense of some of what I had just heard.

I went through the slightly opened curtains, with a smile on my face.

She was sat on the edge of the bed, wearing only a pair of Pyjama trousers and a black lacy bra. Her long, pale fingers were drumming against her thighs. My eyes followed her slender arms to her chest. I smiled wider. I let my gaze wonder over her deliciously creamy body.

My heart stopped.

"Adelaide." It was barely a whisper...but all the anger, all the pain, all the worry...and all the- and all the _love_ that I felt, were all packed into that one word.

She looked up at me, with her beautiful doe like eyes- brown, large and watery. She met my gaze; but all I could see was the red, bumpy..._thing_ running down her right side.

"Adelaide." I repeated, though this time, I spoke clearly.

"Sirius." She offered me a weak smile and stood up. Turning away from me, she picked up her top and quickly slipped it on. Scarlet tinged her cheeks. She looked almost...ashamed.

"How?" I asked, wondering how on earth I could have missed that. It was huge! I'd never even seen it before- of course, she never wore short sleeves.

Adelaide opened her mouth as if to speak, but to my annoyance, and no doubt, her relief, Pomfrey bustled in, waving a blue phial around like she'd struck gold.

"Here it is! Oh...what are you doing in here? Never Mind. Why don't you go and get some breakfast- this will only take about twenty minutes."

Before I could even get a word in edgeways, the woman kicked me out of the hospital wing, and I found myself standing outside, my mouth slightly open. All I knew was that: _Whichever bastard had dared to hurt her was going to pay._

"Padfoot!" I swivelled to see James running towards me, his robs billowing around him. "How is she?"

"She just woke up. Pomfrey is just doing a health check." I snapped, for some reason not wanting to tell him what I had seen. In fact, I hadn't told James about anything that Adelaide had told me about her past. Part of it was because I was yet to talk to Adelaide about it, myself. I mean, surely I should talk to her first...Mr and Mrs Potter were always telling me and James that marriage was all about compromise and talking.

"Alright- calm down. I was only asking." He replied, narrowing his eyes.

"Sorry, mate. Long night." I said, feeling guilty. It wasn't his fault that Adelaide was hurt.

I smiled inwardly. Just thinking about her. I knew that Adelaide was going through hell right now. I knew that she needed me. I knew that I would do anything to help her. I knew all that; but sweet Merlin, she'd called me Sirius. And she'd told me a secret- she'd told me something that no one else in the whole world knew! You have no fricking idea how goddamn cute she looked as she blushed. I could have died right there with a stupid smile on my face! Bloody hell; I had thought that I would make _her_ fall for _me_ and all this time, she's been doing _this_ to me. The funny thing is, the girl probably doesn't even know what she's doing to me.

Running a hand through my hair I told James that I was hungry and that we should get some breakfast before seeing Adelaide.

To be honest, all I wanted to do was head back the way I had come and crawl into bed with Adelaide, smelling her.

I smiled again.

Her smell.

It's like...the sun.

Okay...shut-up. I realise that she can't physically smell like the sun. But it has the same effect, you know. All of a sudden, everything seems brighter, and I can't help but smile. And sometimes, if I look at her for too long, it starts hurting my eyes and my chest constricts; because it's too much brilliance. When she smiles at me...even when she glares at me; I just want to fall at her feet. And knowing that someone hurt her; God, it made me want to go on a killing rampage- even if it did leave me in Azkaban for the rest of my life!"

And James. All these years, I thought that he was _mad_; chasing after that crazy red-head, Lily. I get it now. You can't let go, because all you can see is her. Fucking hell, _I barely even know her!_ Yet, I couldn't care less. _He_ knows what it's like. He's felt it for much longer than I have. SO why is he so against Adelaide.

I mean, sure, she lied; but given the circumstances...surely she deserves to be forgiven?

"C'mon mate, let's eat." James said, leading me to some empty seats.

(Adelaide pov)

As soon as Madame Pomfrey was done feeding me a potion that- literally- tasted like bleach, (Yes I've tasted bleach before- I spent almost a year at torture camp, kids!) she rubbed a variety of colourful ointments into the skin on my arms and back.

I screamed.

This was almost as worse as that first night after the spell. Pain, clawed through me; as though it were inside of me, trying to get out and taste the air. It was like a knife being driven into my body, in and out, in and out. Each time, leaving a bigger wound.

"I told you it would hurt." The Matron stated simply as my breathing slowly returned to normal. I sat up as best I could and downed the glass of water she handed me so fast that I ended up spilling most of it. Pomfrey tutted and gave me a paper towel.

"Madame Pomfrey..." I asked hesitantly after a long silence.

"Yes, Mrs Black." She replied, making me blush.

"Does anyone else know?" she paused, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "About me and Sirius."

"Oh- that...of course not. I only know because Mr Black insisted on staying the night. And in your bed too! The Headmaster had to explain to me- I was in quiet a shock." She gave me a small smile that brightened her usually scowling face. She was actually rather pretty when she smiled. "He's not all that bad. You could have done worse."

I snorted. It looks like a lot of people want me and Sirius together. Well people with brains.

"Well, I'll let you rest for now. I want you for a couple of more hours, just to make sure." She patted my arm and left me with a smile.

She's not all that bad. Even if she is a miserable prune most of the time.

"Do you think she'll try and kill me?" I looked up as I heard those words. Sirius and Pot-Head.

_Crap._

Without missing a beat, I did a 360 turn and roly-pollied onto the bed whilst simultaneously pulling back the covers.

Loud footsteps echoed through the hospital as I desperately tried to slow down my breathing. This was ridiculous- I hadn't even blinked when Pomfrey saw my scars. Why the hell was I getting in a tizzy now?

"She looks asleep, mate." Someone-presumably Pot-Head- said.

"She_ looks_ asleep." Sirius replied, though he sounded sceptical. _He's a perceptive little bugger, that one. _

"Let's come back later." A pair of footsteps began walking away from me, but stopped shortly as Sirius spoke.

"You go on. I'll stay here and get some shut eye- I'm bloody knackered." I ground my teeth in frustration. Trust Sirius fricking Black to decide to stay.

"Right, me and the others will come by later on. We'll be by the Quidditch stands if you need us. Siya."

"Bye, mate."

After a short pause, I felt the mattress depress to my right.

I took a deep breath as quietly as I could and furrowed my face into my pillow, hoping to cover my eyes. As was his usual practice, Sirius enveloped me in his warm embrace. I could feel his hot breath through my pyjama top. This, for some reason made me blush. _Since when did Sirius make me blush._ Shit..._Since when was Black, _Sirius_?_

Mentally I slapped myself.

"I know that you're awake, love." Siri-_Black_ said after a while, making me tense up-well more than I already was. It might have been mere minutes since I had started the ruse of sleeping; but to me, lying there in his hold, as rigid as a plank of wood, it felt like an entire lifetime. I felt long, strong fingers run through my brunette locks- almost lovingly. Meanwhile, my heart was pounding so hard that I was surprised I didn't break into a bout of hyperventilation. "But it's ok. When you want to talk-and we will talk- I'm right here, love." He murmured against my back; sending shivers through my spine.

I went beet red as he chuckled, holding me tighter. And to my horror, I realised, I liked how we seemed to mould against each other, and how his smell still lingered after every touch he placed on me. I didn't want this. Perhaps it was the height of irrationality, but as I lay there, in his arms, scenes from Russia flooded my mind. Suddenly I felt as though the walls were caving in on me. All I wanted was to scream.

_Just breathe. Breathe. 1...2...3...4...Deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. _

"Black." I said in a voice so quiet that was almost inaudible. Still, his whole body became rigid. "Let go of me."

He was still for a very long moment, before slowly unwinding his arms.

"What's wrong?" He demanded, in a rough tone. Anger flared through me until I turned to face him and saw the worry etched into his features. His grey eyes watched me with this- beautiful warmth that seemed to reach my core.

I lay back on the bed, closing my eyes.

"Sorry." I whispered, as he eventually lay back down. This time however, he refrained from touching me. The fact that I both missed and was repulsed by his touch confused me.

"It was in Russia." I began, not sure if this was the right thing to do.

"Go on." Black encouraged me. So I took a deep breath, hesitating.

_Should I tell him?_

_((()bjdmJNU))()()()9_

This is _mean_, but I hope that cliff-hanger keeps you all up _all_ night!

I know, I know, I know...that's horrible to say, but I _am_ a writer and this is my delight! Anyhow, what did we all think? And more importantly, what do you think is going to happen? TELL ME! ***coughs*** Ahem. But seriously, do let me know about your conspiracy theories in regards to the next chapter- or just the whole story in general are. I know what will happen in the end as I have brainstormed this all out on a giant piece of paper; but I'm really interested to know what you guys reckon is going to happen.

Anyhow, I hope you all enjoyed that- go and have fun doing whatever it is that you're going to do and I will try and update as soon as I can!

Tootles, my little lovelies!


	11. What do you mean married?

Hello. I realise that it's been agggeees since I last updated, I've been having a few troubles at home and haven't really been in any kind of state to write or do much of anything really. So I'm really sorry about that, and hopefully, I can get back into the routine pretty quickly.

Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers for reviewing and all the wonderful people who read this story!

Without further ado:

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"I was sixteen. I'd been teaching at Oxford for a year, and it had been a long time since I had seen my family. I went to see Nikolai- he worked in Russia as a journalist; or so I had thought. There was a war there. The monarchy was completely corrupt. They wanted complete control and anyone who didn't believe in their dogma would get sent to torture camps. I knew it was a bad idea- even then, but I missed him so much. When I got there, they told me that Nikolai wasn't a reporter and that was just a cover up. He was part of a rebellion. Apparently, he had been for pretty much his entire life. My parents had been a part of it to. They'd sent out a troop to set some prisoners free. He'd been caught. He was still alive, but we all knew it was a matter of time before they'd kill him.

So I went to him. Somehow- I don't know how- I got in, and we almost got away. But I fell. I told him to run, but he wouldn't. He came back for me and they caught us. They skinned him alive with a knife; I still hear his screams when I close my eyes. He begged them to let me go." I wiped an angry tear away before continuing.

"They raped me. And they poured acid on me- hence the scars. Every day they found some way of torturing me. They used to give me wounds and let them heal partially, only to open them up again a couple of days later. My clothes were soiled and I was miserable. I don't know how long it went on for, but they put me in a cell. There was a woman in there with me. Her name was Claire Darcel. She'd come from France to help. She was fighting for the rights of the people of Russia. Her husband was still in France somewhere. She used to hold me at nigh time. She became like a mother to me. After a couple of months, I realised she was pregnant. I was sure that the baby would die, what with all the beatings we got. But, somehow, a miracle happened. When the time came for birth, I was able to deliver the baby. There was nothing to cut the umbilical cord with. I had to use my nails. She died, holding her baby in her arms; a beautiful little girl. She begged to look after her baby. And I did as much as I could. She was malnourished and starved; only being able to drink dirty water. But she never cried. I remember holding her, for hours just watching her eyes. They were crystal blue; just like Claire's.

Not long after that, I met Vladaslav Belikov. He came, wearing real fur, dark and intimidating. Most of the other prisoners were senile at this point. They were either terrified of him, or they would shout abuse at him. He used to laugh at them. When he came to my cell, he asked me for my name. I lied and gave him the fake alias of Samantha Smith. That was all he asked, before walking away. I didn't care. He could burn in hell as far as I was concerned. I would have yelled at him- I would've said awful things to him. But I knew that he could easily kill Claire's child. So I didn't say anything.

I had hoped that that was the last time I'd see him...but he came back a week later. He had a magazine with him. He opened it up and showed me a picture; it was of me at a medical lecture. He'd grinned, and told me that he wasn't stupid. I just shrugged my shoulders. After that he came back every week. Doctors were ordered to fix myself and the child up. Soon we were both in an ok state. And soon, Vladaslav would come see me every day, late in the evening. He'd ask me questions about myself, my life, medicine and anything else he could think of. I was so beaten that I answered without a fuss. Before I knew it, he had me removed from the torture camp, and I was sent to his palace. He gave me a room, and at my request, he let me keep Claire's baby. He told me he was in love with me. And when I told him I didn't feel the same way, he forced me to marry him. I mean, after everything I'd had to suffer because of him; he thought that I could have feelings for him!

He would have his way with me at every available opportunity he got. I fought as much as I could- but in the end, he was always stronger. As the days went by, I realised just how sick he was. He'd kill little children. He wiped out whole cities without so much as blinking. So I killed him. He begged with me. He grovelled at my feet- he told me he loved me. I felt so guilty. But when I saw that Vladoslav's men were slowly losing power, I felt better. I gave Claire's child to a friend of mine and asked him to send her back home. I knew Nate would look after her. And then I went on the run.

I ended up burning down several important buildings, losing hundreds of year's worth of archives and destroying half of Russia's history...but damn I was alive. And I was free. After so long- of just being locked up in a room, feeling the wind against my skin...it was magical. Then- I just appeared here. I thought I was mad. But it all feels alive. Maybe I am mad." I opened my tear filled eyes and turned my head to Black's. "I don't know anymore." I whispered, offering him a small, sad smile and staring into his large grey orbs. I expected him to be repulsed. I _wanted_ him to turn away from me, disgusted. But they were filled with something that made the dam in me burst. I had killed someone. He'd hate me.

I let the tears flow, watching, entranced as to my surprise, Black leaned forward and kissed them away; his lips leaving the skin that they touched bright and warm.

"Am I supposed to hate you, now?" he asked, resting his forehead against mine. "Am I supposed to run away? Because I won't. I can't. We-" he took hold of my hand. "-are joined in the most magical way. And if I have to, I will spend the rest of my life proving the fact to you. And I will prove that I am never going to let anyone- myself included- hurt you. _Ever._" He breathed against my lips, making me forget everything. I couldn't even remember my name. I had to stop. I had to get out- before it was too late. There was something...something that I needed to take into account.

"Bla-"

"Sirius. Call me Sirius." He told me huskily, bringing me closer to his body. My eyes fluttered and a shiver went through me. "Say it."

"Sirius." It was forceful- more of a growl than anything else. I slipped my hand out of his and immediately began assaulting his beautiful mane of the darkest brown.

"Kiss me." I ordered.

He didn't need telling twice. Before I could even begin to _think_ about what I was doing, he was all over me- smothering me with his unbelievable scent, with his warmth and with..._goddamn it- just him._

I didn't even know what I was doing. All I knew was that I was in complete and utter bliss; writhing in his arms, moaning his name and letting my body crumble at his touch.

Some time later, we came apart, both panting heavily.

"Why don't you go and get some air? Madame Pomfrey said that I should be able to leave soon. I'll come find you." I said after a while, closing my eyes and feeling incredibly stupid.

"Are you sure?" Black asked, sounding a bit hurt.

I sat up, trying not to look at him in case I was as red in the face as I thought I was. "Yeah- I just need a second. You know-"

"I know. You don't have to explain." I could hear the smile in his tone. "I'll be at the-"

"Quidditch- I know." I cut across him before he could finish. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Yeah. In a bit." He repeated before sauntering of.

When I was sure I was alone, I took a deep breath.

"What the hell was that?" I asked myself, fanning myself in an attempt to calm myself down. I know that Black wasn't a bad person- far from it- but he was an immature prick. What was I doing allowing him to snog me stupid? And I wanted it too! Worse still, I still wanted more. The taste of Sirius Black still lingered in my mouth and my body was still buzzing from his expert touch. _Expert_. Yes, he certainly was that. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Sirius Black had played tonsil tennis with most of the girls in the seventh year and probably a lot from the lower years as well.

I physically slapped myself. How could I have been so...so damn stupid. Of course, Sirius Black was being nice to me- of course he was being all buddy buddy with me. He wanted to get it on with me- and I'm such a fool that I hadn't seen his past his womanizing antics! I had even told him- everything. He knew it all.

Angry tears spilled down my cheeks and I wiped them away angrily.

Why was I so upset anyway? It's not like I liked the bloke. It must be because I'd trusted him with my secrets. And now he was going to go and break my heart-no he was going to make my life hell. My heart has nothing to do with any of this.

Sirius Black was toying with me. And dear lord, I would get revenge on the stupid, big headed, _sexy,_ _mindblowingly_ good kisser.

When I was good to go, feeling the familiar stinging crawling up my fingers, I ran as fast as I could to the Quidditch stadium. And let me tell you, running through two feet of snow and living to tell the tale is no mean feat! My school robes were sodden up to my knees within seconds.

Before I was even halfway there, Sirius came pounding towards me wearing the same pained expression as I was. He reached out and took my hands, flushing with colour as our skin touched. Angry though I was, I couldn't help but let out a sigh of contentment.

"You alright?" he asked, as I attempted to pry myself from his grasp.

"Absolutely fine. Where are the others?" I snapped, on the verge of kicking him in the nuts. Again. He narrowed his eyes at me and raised a single eyebrow questioningly at me. I sighed, suddenly feeling tired. I didn't want to fight right now- it was much too cold.

"Look." I said, moving away from him- thankfully he decided to let me go. "What happened- what I said- what I did, it was a mistake, and I think that we should forget that it ever happened. It's stupid- and frankly neither of us are looking for any kind of relationship."

I was expecting him to try and convince me otherwise- I was expecting him to try and seduce me-and yeah, I'm big enough to admit that I was kind of hoping for the latter- but nothing...and I mean _nothing_ could have prepared me for his reaction.

"Okay then. Hey listen, James has invited us to his house over the holidays. Are you coming?"

Or lack thereof, apparently.

"Huh?" I replied, completely thrown at his easy attitude.

"Christmas- we've been invited to the Potter's home."

"Oh. Oh-well, yes...if you want to go then I suppose we can go. But won't they think it a bit odd?"

"Odd?" he grinned at me as if I was one chip short of a Happy Meal. "Why would they think that? I go to see them all the time."

Wow...I actually made out with that.

I rolled my eyes and sighed irritated. "No, you plank. Me! Isn't it odd if I suddenly appear-" I made exaggerated hand gestures. "-at their doorstep. They don't even know me."

"Don't be daft. They know everything, so it won't be weird." He said, not reassuring me at all.

"Won't be weird? I'll believe that when I see it. And have you been telling _everyone_ about...this?" I retorted accusingly.

"No I haven't! For your information, Mr and Mrs Potter are like parents to me- and getting married is something that you tell your parents!" he yelled angrily at me, looking generally hurt.

"_Sorry_- no need to get all touchy. And we didn't get married...James forced a bloody spell on us!" I muttered, turning back to the castle, aware of the curious onlookers...well, _onlooking_. I couldn't care less if the Potters were like his parents; he should have at least discussed the issue with me..._plus_ he should at least keep his bloody voice down.

I stomped furiously onwards, nearly walking into Marlene who was by no means letting the cold weather stop her dressing like a hooker. Instead of the usual sneer, she passed me and headed straight over to Black, murder clear in her eyes. Crap...maybe he really had dumped her. I watched as she placed a perfected aimed slap on his cheek. Inwardly, I sniggered as he clutched his face, eyes screwed up in pain. The git kind of deserved it.

"What do you mean _married?_" she shrieked, throwing pathetically small snowballs at Black. I smirked, enjoying the panicked expression on his face.

"I...err...well...Adelaide...err...it's not what it-" he spluttered nervously, his eyes rooted on his feet.

"Petrova?" the banshee like teen screeched, glaring in my direction. I sent her a happy wave, grinning at her. She deserved some pain after how much of a bitch she had been to me. "Are you married to her? How long has this been going on for?"

Oh shit...she knew we were married. Wow...kissing Black must have killed my brain cells.

"J-Just ...a week and a half." Sirius stammered, as, to my dismay, an audience began gathering around the duo.

"A WEEK AND A HALF! YOU'VE BEEN CHEATING ON ME!" she screamed, a predatory glint in her eyes. "WITH _HER_!"

Well I won't pretend that I wasn't insulted by that- just a smidgen though.

"Oh for the love of all that is good in the world!" I muttered (I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately) rolling my eyes in annoyance. That moron couldn't even take care of something as simple as this!

"McKinnon!" I yelled, catching the blonde's attention.

"What is it, _slag_?" she retorted oh so _cleverly_.

I smirked, placing a hand on my hip. "It's a good thing that I don't waste time on heifers, otherwise, love, you might be dead right about now."

"Adelaide...I don't think that it's a good idea to aggravate her-"

"Shut-up Sirius! Let's hear what the whore has to say." Marlene snarled, squaring her shoulders.

Sirius looked as though he was about to come to me but seemed to think better of it and moved back a little.

Meanwhile, Marlene stood before me, looking every bit the wild animal. She had a fiery look in her eyes, and if my people reading skills were anything to go by, she was getting ready to kill me.

Then I realised that I felt sorry for her. Maybe she really did like, Sirius, and I was only keeping them apart.

Well, in which case, she deserved better than Sirius Black, who only ever thought of his...well you know. I sighed, preparing for a less hostile speech than the one I had planned in all of ten seconds.

"Look...There isn't anything going on between me and Black." I said; which seemed to shock Marlene and our little audience.

"But he just said that you were-"

_Great, I'd have to publicly acknowledge the fact that we're married!_

"We got drunk...really drunk and we accidently got hitched." I told her, not wanting to let anyone know about the whole soulmates deal. "But don't worry; the process of separation is a ship that is well on its way to setting sail."

At this, tinsy wincy lie, Marlene seemed to calm down. In fact- she was _almost_ smiling. Yeah...I'm shocked to.

"I see what's happened here." She said, smirking.

"Yep- it's all a big-"

"You tricked him, didn't you? You knew you couldn't get him to touch you with a barge pole when he's sober, so you got him drunk and tricked him!"

"_Exactly_. It was all a big mis-hold on! WHAT DID YOU JUST ACCUSE ME OF YOU CRAZY BITCH?" I screamed, clenching my fists in an I'm-about-to-murder-you-so-haul-ass-and-run kind of manner.

"Marlene...I think you've gotten the wrong end of the stick-"

"Shut up Black!" we both roared at the same time.

"Okay...sorry." he whimpered, taking a step back.

Heatedly taking out my wand, I smirked at the blonde in front of me. She stood leaning on her hips; her gigantic but sticking out. Her red talons glinted dangerously in the light.

"Go on. I dare you." I said, as she took out her own wand.

"Brave words for a spazz that can't even perform a simple talon clipping charm." She said, causing onlookers to laugh.

Seriously, make one mistake, and you never live it down..._ever._

"Well, lucky for you, I happen to be well endowed in the curse department." I replied as we began prowling around each other in a circle. "Although...judging by the size of your arse, anything that I throw at you will probably bounce right of. Boing. Boing."

At this there was a round of applause and laughter. I smirked...I was back in the game.

"Yeah...well, at least I can get a man without him being drunk."

"ooo...she went there!" some kid shouted, throwing a snowball in my direction. I quickly sidestepped and dodged it. With a flick of my wand, a ton of snow rose from the ground and flung itself at him.

More applause. I am_ so_ gonna win this whole _shebang_.

"Well, he's sober now...so why don't we ask him who he'd rather have?"

Marlene went red...presumably with anger. But who knows with all that plastic, she could be thinking anything.

"Fine. Black..._tell_ Petrova that you want me...that you need me." She turned her head and fixed him with a flirtatious look.

Even without looking, I knew that Black was watching me. I clicked my tongue and folded my arms, making sure that I looked bored.

"Tell her!"

I chose this moment to turn around. Indeed, Black was watching me. He had guilty look on his face.

"Sirius Black...tell her!" Marlene yelled, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him vigorously. He still didn't speak. She looked manic.

Again I felt guilt run through me. Maybe she really did like him.

"Sirius...please..." she begged, quietly. I doubted that anyone else could hear her but me and Black. It still made me feel uncomfortable. She was crying now.

Oh bloody hell. I had the bitch exactly where I wanted her- exactly where she deserved to be- and I wasn't enjoying it.

Discreetly, turning away from the couple, I inclined my head forward and shook it discreetly, indicating for Black to go along with it.

Yeah...I was finding this difficult to believe too.

"Err...well, Marlene-I kind of already broke-up with you last week. Remember; just after Adelaide nearly died."

_What. An. Idiot._

"What?" Marlene seethed, stroking her wand dangerously.

"We already broke-up so this is all a bit pointless." The twit blurted out. He wanted to die apparently.

Marlene advanced on him, with her red claws digging into the sides of her bare legs. (the girl must be fricking freezing.)

"Right...now that that's been sorted out-" I began, trying to ease the tension. "- let's all head down to the Great Hall for a spot of lu-Shit! RUN!" I screamed as Marlene threw a stream of brightly coloured curses Black's way. Luckily, being the athlete that he was, he managed to dodge most of them.

And to be completely honest with you...I was more worried about the curses that she would surely be sending my way.

"Tenticolar!" Screamed Marlene, shooting a crimson spell at me. And like the idiot in the films that stands there, staring at the bus travelling towards them at lightning speed...I froze and stood there like a melon, my lips parted in a shock.

_So much for winning._

"ADELAIDE!" Black bellowed.

Something warm, forceful and downright _heavy_ collided with me, sending both me and it flying through the air, and then crashing back down to the ground. Luckily, three metres of snow cushioned the landing.

The wind had been knocked out of me, and I wanted to just lay there forever, covered in ice cold snow...it would as sure as hell beat reality. But no such luck. Before I could even register what had happened, I was being pulled to my feet by Black who had appeared, seemingly, out of nowhere. Without so much as a word of explanation, he grabbed my hand and began dragging me through the snow. Needless to say, running in the snow was not easy. From the corner of my eye, I saw Alice, Mary and a couple of ripped looking guys join Marlene. Fear ravaged through me and memories of a bad place came flying back.

Blinking away tears I focussed on breathing.

Running through the snow, his hand clasping mine tightly, leading the way, it occurred to me that Black had saved me. I wanted to ponder on the thought, but there were other, much more pressing things happening.

As a stream of fresh curses and hexes were being sent our way, I screamed out the shield charm, deciding that now was a good time to pick up the pace.

"Where are we going?" I yelled, as Black sprinted towards the Forest. I was trying to catch up with him, but honestly, I was kind of lazy...so I wasn't in very good shape at all. Plus there was the added factor that I was covered in ice and pretty much half frozen.

"I don't know! Away from them!" he replied, tightening his grip on my hand- as if my circulation wasn't cut of enough already.

Without looking back, we ran like there was no tomorrow.

I was mildly relieved when we reached the cover of the Forbidden Forest where the snow had thinned due to the covered of the trees. I had been hoping that Marlene and her posse of slags would get scared and run away, however, life hated me, and decided the usually squeamish girls would have a random bout of fearlessness. Instead of turning on their heels and generally crapping themselves, they marched forwards, searching for us.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" Black groaned, pulling me behind a large tree, narrowly avoiding a hex.

"Well, no offence or anything, but you weren't exactly tactful back there. _We already broke up so this is all pointless._ Really...could you get any stupider? "

"Alright, love...it's _all_ my fault. Can we please think of a way to get out of here now?"

"Fine...what's the plan."

"Why are you asking me...aren't you meant to be some kind of genius or something?" Black said below his breath, to which I trod sharply on his foot. He let out a sharp intake of breath that would have surely given us away if Marlene hadn't chosen that exact moment to open her big gob.

"Come out, come out, wherever you areeee!" she sang manically, sending shivers through my spine. This chick was seriously mental.

"What do we do?" Black hissed, holding me tightly against the tree trunk- as though I would make a run for it or something.

"Did you really think that you could humiliate me in public like that?" Marlene bellowed. The others stopped their random spell throwing for the time being.

"We need to outrun them, somehow." I whispered back, closing my eyes to think. "We need some place to hide for a while."

"Well we won't last much longer- I'm dog tired as it-"

..._Dog tired..._

"Dog tired?" I grinned.

"Yes...it means you're very tired-" Black began sarcastically, but I cut across him.

"Sirius Black, you _genius!_" I whispered happily at his puzzled expression. I rolled my eyes.

"If _only_ we had someone who was an unregistered animagus who could transform into a giant dog and get us out of this mess." I said coyly, watching with satisfaction as Black's expression went from blank, to awe to pure unadulterated joy. "Padfoot." I added as Black transformed into a great big shaggy black beast, ripping through his clothes.

Without skipping a beat, I jumped onto Black's back and grabbed hold of his ears- they looked like the easiest part of him to hold onto- and he was off, bounding off into the darkness of the forest. From behind me, I could hear Alice's girly squeals and shrieks of horror and their retreating footsteps as Black let out a ferocious growl. I narrowly avoided a bright red curse from Marlene.

"Faster...FASTER!" I screamed, tightening my grip on Black, fully aware that Marlene was still running after us.

"COME BACK YOU BITCH AND FIGHT! AND WHERE THE FUCK IS SIRIUS?" she shrieked still shooting as many hexes, jinxes and otherwise painful spells our way. I groaned as I was hit with a stinging curse. Even as we ran against the wind, I felt my face bloat up and puff. Black increased his already inhumanely fast speed until we could no longer hear Marlene screaming profanities at us.

I rolled of Black, landing on the leaf covered floor of the forest with a loud, undignified thud. Panting heavily, I pushed myself up, thanking my lucky stars that my idiot husband found it impossible to pay heed to any rules or regulations.

"That was close." I breathed, standing up and leaning on a nearby tree. The sound of rustling leaves told me that Black was nearby. I groaned; my face was puffed up and I was feeling generally crap all round.

"Oh crud...Adelaide don't-" I heard Black say.

"What?" I asked curiously, turning to face him.

"-turn around."

I stood, gobsmacked, unable to do anything but stare with open-mouthed horror.

"Sorry!" I squealed, slapping my hands over my eyes.

I flushed a deep red, trying with all my might to do away with the image of a very naked Sirius Black that was currently burned into my mind.

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Sooo...what did you all think? Please leave a review and let me know what you though! I was pretty happy with this ending


	12. What was happening to me?

Hello all. I know..I'm terrible with updates, but there's a lot going on right now and it's hard to write for me. Anyhow. I hope this chapter is to your liking...please enjoy and leave a review as nothing pleases me more than hearing from the audience

Here you go...

CHAPTER TWELVE

"WHERE ARE YOUR CLOTHES!" I screamed, my eyes clenched shut and my hands covering them just for good measure.

"They got ripped- I was kind if preoccupied, you know running away and all that." I heard him say in a panicked voice.

"Well what are you going to do _now_? You can't very well go around in nothing but your birthday suit!" I replied, trying to keep my eyes closed- it's harder than you might think, you know.

"Why not; I know you like it."

"I DO NOT!" I yelled, scandalised. "I don't even like you...AT ALL! So yeah...put some clothes on."

The only reply I got was a small laugh.

"Do you have any clothes on yet?" I demanded.

"Yeah. I just transfigured a leaf."

_Good._ I smiled to myself and opened my eyes, feeling relieved. The less time Sirius Black spent naked in my presence the better.

Removing my hands from my face, I opened my mouth to speak.

"Oh." Was all I could manage before turning beet red and swivelling around.

Black was a lying bastard. He was still very much stark naked, and now he was grinning like a lunatic to boot. I'd just been outwitted by a moron.

Yeah...I feel the burn too.

(SIRIUS POV)

It was a childish thing to do, I know, but standing here, with Adelaide tuned away from me, stamping her feet and muttering incoherently...for some strange reason makes me happy. Seeing her face, beet red and screwed up in shock is both hilarious and exhilarating. To be fair the little minx deserved it- especially after what she'd said to me.

"_What happened- what I said- what I did, it was a mistake, and I think that we should forget that it ever happened. It's stupid- and frankly neither of us are looking for any kind of relationship."_

At the time I'd wanted to scream and yell at her, or better yet, pin her to the floor and snog her _fucking_ senseless...but then I saw the unspoken panic in her eyes. She's bloody terrified and somehow, I'm thinking she wouldn't appreciate any of the aforementioned tactics. For now, it's best if I just go at her pace and let her hold onto the chess pieces. Only for now, though. Because I am telling you now, after out little make-out session in the infirmary...I am definitely going to snog her _fucking _senseless- I just need to make her trust me. Oh yeah...and find away to resurrect that Vladoslav bastard and then gouge out his eyes using a blunt knife.

But seriously (no pun intended), how could she think that I was messing around after everything she'd told me. How can she not know that when I'm not with her I'm only ever thinking of her? Or that when she smiles I feel as though I could just die of happiness right there and then? She might be a genius...but she can as sure as hell be dense sometimes!

"Here..." Adelaide said, shrugging her outer robes of and bringing me back to the world of the living. "You can wear this." She held it out to be, still facing away from me. When I made no move to take it from her, she sighed angrily and shook the robes. "Just take it! Jeez...do you want to die from hypothermia? Or do you just want the attention. You're such a drama Queen."

"Wow...I must be the luckiest guy in the world; having such a charming little wife!" I snorted, taking her the robes, sceptical as to whether or not they would fit me- Adelaide was such a tiny little thing compared to me.

"I'm not _really_ your WIFE!" she retorted furiously, bringing a smile to my lips.

Without much care, I threw on the robes, enjoying the overpowering scent of Adelaide washing over me. The mere thought of the fabric that rested on my body, once having cloaked Adelaide in the same way brought shivers to my body. I wonder if she'd ever worn them in the nude..._ahh...stop with all the perverted thoughts!_

"Hate to break it to you, but you really are." I grinned, ignoring the fact that the robes were a bit tight on me.

"Well, not for long let's hope." She replied, grimacing as though the very thought of being married to me made her want to find a really tall building to jump of off.

"Whatever..." I grinned, stretching out my arms. "...Mrs Black."

Just as I had anticipated, she did a 180 degree turn, glaring at me with murder in her eyes- have I mentioned how darn sexy she is when she does that?

With the look of a possessed demon, she rolled up her white sleeves and took a step towards me. Had it been anyone else, I would have probably cursed them by now- or in Marlene's case, I'd be running away- but, although Adelaide looked every bit the psycho serial killer, the idea of her doing what she liked with me kind of turned me on. Many people at this point probably think I'm a masochistic freak...but seriously, you have to understand that this girl is...fricking _hot_. And not just that...she's perfect. Her smile is like the sun and her eyes are like the stars. She's so beautiful...and at night she's so warm and vulnerable and she's so cute and when she has nightmares she cries out in her sleep and I just want to cuddle her and kiss her and she's so cute and when she smiles I just want to pinch her cheeks and pat her on the head because she reminds of a cute little baby with her little cheeks and her little-

"What the hell are you doing?" Adelaide demanded, annoyance clear in her expression.

"Huh?" I muttered stupidly, realising that I had extended my hands and was about to pinch her cheeks.

For the first time in my life-ever- I blushed.

"Nothing." I mumbled, hastily bringing my arms back down to my sides.

"You do the strangest things, you know." she smiled, making me almost swoon.

"Only for you, Mrs Black." I grinned back before I could stop myself. I was rewarded with a deep red blush.

"Don't call me that." She whispered shyly.

And I am man enough to admit that my knees were going weak at this point.

For a while, we stood there in silence. Awkward silence.

Well it was awkward for me...mainly because I couldn't stop fantasising about doing perverted things to her. But anyway, after some time, I realised that I was cold- freezing. Glancing at Adelaide, it dawned on me that she was also cold- shivering in fact.

"Ermm...do you want your robes back?" I asked after a moment, scratching the back of my head, not entirely sure what to do.

"Ahh...I guess not, then." I replied hastily to her death glare.

"Let's just get out of here." She said, drawing her arms around herself and shivering.

I nodded in agreement, feeling the chill myself.

We'd been wandering around for hours now. It was dark, cold and I was pretty much at wits end.

(ADELAIDE POV)

And we were lost. Very lost.

"I thought you knew where we were going!" I growled, kicking the leafy ground.

For what seemed like the millionth time, Black sighed and repeated the same old excuse he'd been patiently giving me all evening.

"I was kind of preoccupied and I was just focussing on getting away from Marlene. I'm sorry."

"You've said that, already! But what do we do now? What if we get eaten by...by Kangaroos or something?" I moaned, waving my wand in front of me so I could see what was there. Nothing but leaves.

Black obviously felt that this was exceptionally funny and burst out laughing. His laughter boomed and echoed into the night, sending little birds tittering and other creepy crawlies skittering about. "There aren't any in here. Kangaroos live in Australia."

I punched him in the arm, but it hardly bothered him. God damn my weak muscles!

"Whatever, Einstein. We wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you!"

"Oh get of it!" he snapped back at me, starting to get annoyed. "I didn't ask to be bloody attacked my Marlene!"

"No...but if you weren't such a _man-whore_, no one would have wanted to attack you in the first place. _And_ you got me into this mess too. I mean, you can lie to every teacher in every single way that is humanly possible- but you can't, for one lousy time, just say that you're not interested in me! I mean, what is with you? Are you crazy or something?"

"_Yes,_ I am crazy! I'm completely head over heels in love with you and you seem to think that everything I say is either a joke or worthless. Or both! You act like you'd rather be dead than with me and it really hurts!" He finished with a huge heave of breath, It was dark but I could just make out his face. It kills me a little to admit that he was looking pretty damn fine at this particular moment in time. I suppose I was feeling a little guilty too.

"You think you love me?" I asked in a somewhat patronizing voice, shaking the feeling off.

"I KNOW I love you. I'm not a bad person. I can love just like anyone else." He growled.

I turned to look at him, lowering my arm and by default my source of light. His face was now obscured by the darkness, but I could make out his clear grey eyes. They were bearing into my soul, reading me and inviting me in to do the same. I stared at him for a moment, appalled at how much I wanted him to kiss me again. He'd saved me before...he'd put himself in danger for me. And that was so typical of him. He was a womanizing prick...but he'd been there when I'd needed him. He liked me. I knew that. But could he really love me? Vladoslav had said he'd loved me- and he was crazy. I had told him my biggest secret, and he'd kept if for me, as far as I knew. Not even Potter had acted in any way to suggest to me that he knew what had happened.

"I am not like..._them._" he snarled all of a sudden, startling me. He stepped forwards, until I was backed up against a tree. I should have been scared, but for some reason, all I wanted was to hold him close to me, like a child.

I took a step towards him, and placed a pale, freezing hand on his cheek and smiled.

"I know, Sirius. I've always known that you're good. You're not like your family...you chose your own way. That makes you better than them in every respect." I whispered, not minding when he closed his eyes and brought his body closer to mine. He nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck and his hands held my hips. I felt my heartbeat accelerate and suddenly, the palms of my hands became sweaty. My senses were on red alert- and to my great surprise, I was excited. I had been touched by a man before...Vladoslav was not one to be shy- he took what he wanted and he did so without remorse. This was different though. I liked this. I wanted it. In fact I was craving it with every part of my body. I knew that I should be fighting this feeling, that I shouldn't be letting myself into this situation. But I couldn't help it. Sirius Black made me feel...something. I don't know what, but it was both breathtakingly ferocious and calm like the night sky. It was passionate like the blazing sun and beautiful like the soft shades of the moon. There was a fire inside of me, and I needed him to put it out with his caresses and sweet words.

But there were none. He just held me like that, making me crazy with passionate longing, yet content all the same.

What was happening to me?

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Sooo...what did you guys think? Leave me a review and let me know what you think is going to happen

And also...to all of you guys who have reviewed...know that you all are wonderful and I love you all. I've been having a hard time lately, and reading your reviews make me feel better. Thank you, and wherever you are, whatever you are doing, I hope you are well and happy.


	13. That's my Mum

Hello, Hello, Hello. How are we all today? I have half an hour till I need to get my but down the street to get the bus, and instead of getting ready, I decided to upload another chapter! Who needs muggle education when I'm sure to get my slightly belated Hogwart's acceptance letter next year? Don't laugh at me, its only late by six years. Anyhow, I noticed that I haven't been interacting much with reviewers/readers very much lately! I am very sorry and promise to make it up to you...now...

The Weatherwitch: Hello Yes, she is starting to get it...however, as protagonists generally turn out to be, she can be incredibly dense at the best of times! Glad you liked the last chapter and I hope you like this next one. Feel free to leave a review, as I do love to hear opinions!

Roses Roses And More Roses: As always, your review made me smile...Thank you! I like sensitive Sirius too...shame there are none in real life Ah well...I can live out my dream in fan fic at least. :P Enjoy the next chapter and let me know what you thought.

Talyag: Thank you! I hope that you enjoy the next chapter. Let me know what you think.

Finally to everyone else who's been reading: THANK YOU and enjoy the chap!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:

It was around three in the morning when we finally managed to find our way back to the castle and our room. We were both so tired that we didn't even bother getting changed before throwing ourselves unceremoniously onto the bed. In fact, I didn't even bother chastising Sirius when he wrapped me up in his arms like a teddy bear. He muttered something about seeing me in the morning, before falling into a deep slumber. I followed suit, soon after.

The next day, I woke to find myself alone, wrapped in blankets, with a God-awful headache and a nose so blocked that I could hardly breathe. Annoyingly, I missed having Sirius's body pressed up against me. Groaning, I managed to roll out of bed, and shrug on some slippers and a dressing gown. My clothes, I noticed, had been changed from my sodden wet uniform, to my pyjamas. Obviously, Sirius had changed them for me. His method of doing so was of major concern to me. I would seriously rip his balls off if he had done it himself.

Coughing, I waddled over to the foot of the bed, where our trunks laid, side by side. On it, I noticed a crystal vial of some pale blue formula. It sat on top of a piece of folded parchment. Ignoring my banging head, I bend over and picked both items up. I unfolded the parchment and read:

_Adelaide,_

_Don't worry, I used a transfiguring charm to change your clothes- far be it from me to take advantage of sleeping women- even if they are my wife and of the sexy variety. _I laughed at this despite myself. _I thought that you could use some pepperup potion; we both got drenched last night and you were coughing and sneezing all over the place in your sleep. Anyway, it tastes vile, so drink it in one go...and if you start shooting steam from your ears- it's meant to do that. _

_I'm in the Great Hall if you need me._

_S x_

I had _coughed and sneezed all over the place?_ Oh God, I hope I didn't make a fool of myself in from of him- hold on a second, why the flipping hell should I care about making a fool of myself in front of him?

Pushing the thought to the back of my mind, I took the stopper of the vial and downed the potion, not bothering to check it or anything.

"Byeuckh." I spluttered, wrinkling my nose in distaste. He was right. It _was_ vile.

When the Christmas holidays rolled around, I thought I would die from happiness. Although Pot-head and the others had kept Marlene and her gang of hussies at bay, they had been unable to keep their mouths shut. Within hours of the scene outside, the whole school had been told about mine and Black's situation, minus the specifics. So basically, they only knew that myself and Black were married and true to human psychology, the blanks had been filled as they saw fit. I had already heard several stories, from my being a vampire vela hybrid out to get the Black fortune to my being a dark angel of retribution set out to make Black pay for his playboy ways by subjecting him to a lifetime of fidelity and marital abstinence. They were harmless in themselves, however, the constant staring and whispering that followed me, was making me anxious and jumpy, and thus depriving me of sleep. Which, in retrospect, was making me a cranky bitch, which just made people stare and whisper all the more. Also, Marlene is an evil cow. It is a truly vicious, vicious cycle. Anyhow, the very thought of being away from it all for two blissful weeks was enough to make me smile. In fact, I couldn't stop smiling.

Truth be told, I looked like a bit of an idiot.

"...they're going to be gone for a week anyway, so you guys should come over. It'll be great!"

"I don't know- wouldn't your parents mind?"

"Of course not! They don't mind me having my friends over. Besides, Pads is going to be there...oh and Petrova will too."

I listened half-heartedly as Potter tried to convince Lily to stay over for the last week of the holidays- his parents were going to Italy on some business and they had given him the go-ahead for a bit of a slumber party. He'd invited, Black, and (by default) me, Lily, Alice and Remus and Peter. The latter of which had already refused politely due to family commitments. Black of course was all game as was Alice (she had recently been rescued from Marlene's evil clutches by Lily. Apparently, Alice hadn't wanted any part in anything untoward, but Marlene had been insistent. Of course the silly girl had been welcomed back with open arms.) Lily, it seemed was a little reluctant in coming over. She was not willing to partake in anything that was morally wrong. Personally, I'd say that she was just too scared she'd try and jump Potter in the middle of the night. She wouldn't ever admit it but she was half in love with him already.

Mr Albert Potter had collected us all from King's cross with a warm smile. He was a short fellow with silver hair and wore a light brown tweed suit. His face was clean shaven and his eyes twinkled mischievously. Old in age, he was nothing special to look at, but even then there was something about him that told me that he had once been a very attractive man. Potter and Black weaved through the masses of people easily when they had spotted the man, leaving me to trail behind awkwardly, pulling my trunk with me.

"Jimmy! Sirius!" Mr Potter exclaimed, taking the two boys in his arms, grinning broadly. "How is it that you have both managed to grow even _taller_ than you already were?"

"We haven't grown that much- you're just vertically challenged, Dad." Potter quipped, earning himself a pat on the back from his father.

"Prong's that's mean...anyway Mr P, let's get back to the circus."

"Absolutely _hilarious_, Sirius. And how many times must I tell you to call me Al- or at least Albert." Mr Potter chuckled good naturedly.

I stood awkwardly, waiting for the three men to...well, do something other than joke about each other, for a while before Mr Potter finally looked my way.

Despite my years of being in the public eye, I felt queasy and flushed bright red at his gaze.

"Ah...you must be Adelaide." He offered me a smile, to which I replied with a polite nod. "Of course, Sirius and James have told us all about you." He put his hand out for me to shake. After a moment's hesitation, I took it and shook it firmly.

"Nice to meet you, Sir." I replied, fully aware that I was as stiff and as rigid as the tin man.

Mr Potter scoffed, and suddenly, without warning, took me in his arms. Panic struck me, and before I knew it, I had jutted my knee upwards.

Mr Potter growled, falling to the ground, grabbing his crotch.

"I'm so sorry." I muttered embarrassingly, for the umpteenth time as I sat in the back of Mr Potter's car with Sirius. My face was bright red, and I felt like a complete and utter twat.

"Don't bother yourself with it- I shocked you is all. I'm sure you didn't mean it." He chuckled, taking a bumpy left turn, leading us into a narrow country road.

I could not believe that I had kneed him in the balls- especially as I hadn't meant to...I think. I shook my head and looked down at my lap in shame. Beside's me, I felt Sirius edge closer, his hand so close to mine that I could feel the heat radiating from it. For a moment, it felt as though my hand would move and embrace his on its own accord. It was a fleeting fancy, and I soon put a stop to it. Placing my hands firmly in my lap, I ignored the slightly hurt look on Si-Black's face, and the suddenly accelerated pace of my heart.

I spent the remainder of the journey in silence. The two Potter's chatted and laughed happily, both glad to see each other after so long. Guilt devoured me when I realised how quiet Black was being. Every so often he would glance at me before sighing and turning his gaze to the open window on his side.

Needless to say, I was glad when the car came to a halt.

Without waiting to be told where to go, I was out of the car; eager to get away from the tension that had settled between myself and Black. I walked around to the back of the car and flung open the boot. With of a flick of my wand, the trunks in the boot rose, and headed towards the door of the large cottage that stood before us. It had the look of another world about it; painted white, golden vines shrouded it in a magical glow. The door was a deep red colour and tiny flower pots lined the windowsills. I took a deep breath and sighed.

"Eager." Mr Potter smiled, closing the boot for me. "Come on, Harriet will be waiting for us."

No sooner had the words left his mouth, did a short, slightly plump woman with silvering hair burst out from the door with unnatural speed. It took me a moment to realise that it was not the boys or her husband that she was charging at...but me. As her body collided with mine, I felt the wind blow right out of me. She enclosed me in an iron tight grip that was surprisingly warm, pacing tiny kisses on my cheeks. I would not be exaggerating if I said that I was scared shitless.

Thankfully Mr Potter took pity on me, and somehow managed to prise the woman from me.

"I am ever so sorry, my dear, it's just that I was so excited to meet you- after James and Sirius had told us what had happened. It's just so wonderful." She beamed.

I stared at Potter and Black, my expression clearly one of wonder. Black just shrugged his shoulders, whilst Potter puffed up his chest and mouthed; "That's my Mum." Something that I found both sweet and pathetic.

Potter charged at his Mother and flung his arms around her.

"Oh Jimmy, I've missed you so much! Look how fat you've gotten!" she teased, poking him lightly in the tummy.

"MUM! I am _not_ fat!" Potter pouted, looking outraged. Mrs Potter just laughed, pulling Black into a bone crushing hug.

"Siri, how have you been, dear?" she asked, smiling warmly.

"Fine, thanks. I could kill for a pie though." Black grinned, and odd twinkle in his eye that I had never seen before. It was sad...but happy- I shook my head. These thoughts would do me no good.

"I've already got one in the oven."

"Come on then- we'll freeze if we stay out here any longer." Mr Potter said, leading the boys into the house.

I was about to follow when Mrs Potter stopped me. Taking me in her arms again, though this time less violently, she smiled. "Welcome to the family, angel. You make Sirius very happy, dear, did you know that?" she whispered before releasing me.

"Hardly." I scoffed. "We barely know each other."

Mrs Potter raised an eyebrow, disapprovingly. "Just because you two don't know each other, doesn't mean that your hearts don't."

I just stared back at her, trying to reign back the anger and the tears that were threatening to spill over. I didn't even know where they had come from. All that I knew at that moment was that this whole ordeal was messing me up in ways that I had thought were impossible. I had already built up my defences, so why did I feel cold and empty, yet so...warm?

"He loves you a lot, angel. He's been through a lot, so you look after him for us, will you?"

I nodded in agreement, attempting, but failing to maintain an air of calm.

Mrs Potter- or Harriet as she insisted I call her, was an excitable lady. _As if I hadn't figured that out after _that_ welcome. _For the rest of the day, she followed me around, chatting about inconsequential things; such as how I was finding married life, and much to my chagrin, about how I really should start going by the name of Adelaide Black. Also...she knew far too much about me for my liking.

"Cooking isn't your forte is it, dear?" Harriet chuckled, pushing gently away from the stove. She waved her wand over a bubble pan with an oozing orange concoction threatening to spill over its edges, making it disappear.

I growled in annoyance.

"I am strictly a pasta and noodles girl." I replied, plopping down on a wooden chair, stretching my arms and legs. "I'm good at baking though." I added as an afterthought, remembering my last attempt at brownies. Well, Nikolai and Nate liked them...so who am I to argue?

"You can make dessert tomorrow then, pet." She replied, putting a pot of potatoes on the boil. "I've got a trifle in the cool cupboard for today."

"Right. So what do you want me to do then?"

"Why don't you go and find Sirius; I'm sure I'll manage fine without you, dear, and half an hour will be up soon."

"Okay." I sighed, pulling myself up and wandering through the open door. The fresh, winter's air that hit me was wonderful. The potter's garden was beautiful; covered in a diamond layer of soft snow; for miles, all you could see was white. On and around a nearby bench, the Potter men and Black were drinking butterbeer, laughing and chatting happily.

Pot-Head was the first to notice me. He nudged Black, who immediately jumped out of his seat, offering it to me. I took it and thanked him politely.

"So...what's the plan for tomorrow?" I asked, crossing my legs and arms in an attempt to keep out the cold. I had on a hand me down jumper and pair of jeans- neither was doing much to protect me from the chill air.

"Playing Quidditch, of course." Pot-Head grinned, looking altogether too enthusiastic. Mr Potter seemed to like this idea a lot and smiled.

"I'm not really that great a flyer." I said, mildly annoyed that no one had even taken into consideration me or what I might like to do.

"That's okay; you sit and watch." Was Pot-Head's bright reply. He really was clueless sometimes.

"Yeah. Sounds like loads of fun...I can sit and freeze my arse of whilst watching you two-" I motioned at Black and Potter "Make fools of yourself in the sky, before managing to fatally injure yourselves...or perhaps you'd like to have another go at trying to kill me or otherwise ruin my life by stupidly reading out spells you have no knowledge about?" I ended in a high, very sarcastic tone.

Mr Potter coughed awkwardly and muttered something about 'helping Harriet' before wandering of in the general direction of the cottage. Potter went bright red and Black looked thoroughly offended.

"That...I...it was an accident. I didn't mean it." Potter finally spluttered out, gaping somewhat like a fish.

"Ohhh...You didn't mean it, I should have realised- what with all those times that you apologised and whatnot." I snapped back. With a side order of sarcasm, of course.

"You stabbed Padfoot!" he retorted, rather childishly, might I add.

I scoffed. "Yes I did. Something which I apologised for and then later tried my best to make up for by healing him. As you have done neither of those things, you have no right to say that to me." At this point, Potter looked incredibly angry.

"You know, this is my house you're in; so you can get the hell out if you don't like me!" He growled at me, taking a menacing step towards me. Black was about to intervene, but I dismissed him with a wave of a hand and jumped up and leant forwards.

"Actually, shit-for-brains; it belongs to your parents, and we're in the garden not the _cottage_. Also, I think you're a prick, and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you and your idiotic decision to read a random spell and screw both myself and Black over- so yeah, unless you insist on keeping Black to hold your hand, I would most gladly leave."

With an outraged look, Potter opened his mouth to speak. "You're just a stupid who-"

"WOULD YOU STOP IT?" Black cut across him. "I have had enough of this! You two need to grow up and get along! James- you are a brother to me...but whether you like it or not, Adelaide is my wife now. She's not going _anywhere_. So you need to start treating her with respect. And Adelaide- the likelihood that we're stuck with each other _forever_ is quiet high, so you're going to have to accept James as my family! I refuse to choose between the two of you, and frankly as the two most important people in my life, you shouldn't be making me!" He finished furiously, traversing through the snow with considerable grace. Behind him, he banged the door close.

"Can you believe him?" I muttered, now thoroughly pissed off.

"It's your fault...you just _had _to get all prissy about Quidditch. All you had to say was that you weren't interested. Do you always have to be so goddamn up yourself? You act like you bloody own the place, and you've us you have managed to delude Sirius into thinking you're meant for each other. Plus you're a moody cow. And now he's in a mood with-" I ignored the rest of what he said, pulling my arm back and thrusting it back at him with all the force I could muster.

"OWWWW!" he roared, much to my amusement.

_That felt good._

Yes, I did just punch Potter square in the jaw. I must admit, I'm starting to see why everyone thinks I'm a violent person. Anyway, he deserved it. That prick thinks _I'm _up _myself?_

"What the HELL was that for?" he yelled, doubled over and clutching his face.

"Have you ever took a step back and thought about how _I'm_ feeling? I get taken out of my world- treated like crap for one mistake by everyone. I then get attached to someone I barely know- forever for all I know, and I'm just expected to deal with that? Don't I deserve to be able to fall in love with and marry whoever I choose? And then Marlene get's the wrong end of the stick, so _I_ have to suffer? What kind of dumbass logic is that? I might not even be able to ever see my family again! And you still wonder why I'm moody? I act high and mighty, because if I don't respect myself, then no one else will! And Jesus Christ, Black did that all by himself! I don't even want to be here! And do you know what else? You. Tried. To. Kill. Me." I snapped, barely pausing for breath, feeling a familiar pain creeping up my arms and legs.

"It was an accident!" he whined back, throwing his arms up dramatically.

"I have to go and find Black now...because this STUPID SPELL IS KICKING IN AND I FEEL LIKE I AM BEING TORTURED!" I roared, leaving an open mouthed, dumbfounded Potter, just standing there.

Wheezing, I made my way past Mr and Mrs Potter, who suddenly had very important business with the sink and were peering into it with the utmost concentration. Really, they'd be better off with an awkward turtle.

Feeling weak, and very pained, I clambered up the stairs, cursing my luck.

"Where are you?" I growled, now on my knees crawling. A door to my left opened, and I saw Black's head pop out. He was still standing, but his face was contorted with pain. Seeing me, he reached out and grabbed me. Instantly, I felt warmth spread through me, rejuvenating me. I slumped in his arms and let him drag me into the room where he helped me get into a sitting position. Plopping himself next to me, he sighed deeply.

"I thought the limit was half an hour." He grumbled, letting his head loll against the bed.

"Yes, but it gets longer and shorter depending on how good our relationship is. At the moment it's hit rock bottom." I replied, taking a deep breath.

Black had been sat there, his head against the bed, for ages. I looked up to see that his eyes were closed. It was almost as if he were asleep.

"Does your arm still hurt you?" I asked, remembering that night more than a month ago, when I had massaged it for him by the great lake.

"Sometimes." He mumbled, eyes still shut. "Why ask?"

"I felt a bit guilty after Potter brought it up." I flushed, glad he couldn't see me. A small chuckle passed his lips.

"Shut up." I grumbled, trying to act mad. For some reason, Black's laugh made me want to laugh too.

We were both silent for a while, just sitting there. It was a peaceful quiet...I leant back and closed my eyes, now in the same position as Black. Taking a deep breath I smiled. I felt calm.

()()()()()()()()()()(

Sooooo. What did you all think? Like? No like? Let me know, and I'll love you forever! Have a good day/night, wherever you are!


	14. I don't hate him, hate him

Y'ellow. What up dawgs? Here is the next chapter; be sure to let me know what you think!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

(SIRIUS POV)

I opened my eyes, feeling the energy slowly build back up inside me. I felt like a kettle...slowly becoming hotter and hotter, before I knew it, I was a bubbling pot of absolute fury.

Why was I like this?

Why did I feel this way- when Adelaide clearly wasn't in this relationship?

_I then get attached to someone I barely know- forever for all I know, and I'm just expected to deal with that?_

That's what she had said- hell that's what she'd _screamed_. She hated me. But damn it, I had _tried. _I tried so _hard_. I keep on trying to get close to her...and every time she pushes me away. I listen to her. I'm _always_ there. So why can't she love me? Why can't she come to _me?_ Why is she repulsed by me?

"It is so unfair." I sighed, getting up abruptly. For a second, Adelaide just stared at me through her warm brown eyes silently.

"It's not your fault-" she began but I cut across her angrily.

"Damn _fucking_ right it is not my fault. What did I ever do to you to make you hate me? You've had a bad life...big _bloody_ deal. So have I. So has half of the population of the world! The difference is; I actually care about you. I give a shit what you're feeling. And when I'm not with you, I'm thinking about you. Have you ever thought, even for one tiny _second_ how I'm feeling? Have you ever wondered what kind of an effect you have on me? I can't even be angry with you properly!" I said my voice so raised that I would soon be shouting. In a fit of anger, I kicked the chair to my right so violently that it toppled over with a loud bang. "And you need to stop acting like such a freaking martyr- In case you hadn't noticed, Marlene is messing my life up as well!"

(ADELAIDE POV)

Black picked up a pillow and threw it at the floor. A pathetic move in its own right, but to his merit, he did look exceptionally angry when he threw it. I felt as if I should be saying or doing something mildly soothing, but in all honesty, I was shocked. Black had-well, I'm in inclined to say- _feelings_. And, even more shockingly, they were justified ones. He was feeling neglected. But what could I do? I'm not his mother-not that I can imagine his mother as the motherly, comforting sort; but hey, it was a figure of speech. And I certainly wasn't equipped to deal with his feelings...or him for that matter.

I_ wanted_ to leave him to simmer off, but I knew that the spell would not allow it- especially when Black was feeling so emotional. Another reason, I suppose, to hate Potter. You know what else? Now that I think about it, this magic business isn't nearly as fun as it's made out to be. In fact, right now, it's feeling pretty crappy. First Potter, now this.

"Look. I'm sorry that I can't give you a lad-di dah, life-is-amazing marriage. I'm fucked up in so many different ways that I find it difficult to function on a normal level. Okay. You know that. You also know that _this_, whatever it is, is not my choice. I didn't ask for it." I sighed, once Black had stopped throwing pillows aimlessly at the ground. I wanted to say something...just anything more. I could feel the words on the tip of my tongue- but they just wouldn't come.

He stared up at me through his thick, dark mop, with smouldering grey eyes. They grew somehow hot; glowing like silver pools.

"You didn't ask for it?" he growled, taking a step towards me. The palms of my hands grew suddenly sweaty, and a familiar feeling of dread filled me. I took a step back myself, swallowing hard. "Well neither did I!" he hissed, throwing his fist against the wall. My body shuddered with fear as my back aligned itself with the cool, plaster wall. The colour quickly drained from my face, and like lightening, old memories struck my mind. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Why the hell should I have to deal with you? Why is it that as long as you're happy it's ok? Why is it that you don't care about me or how I feel? TELL ME!" he roared, warm breath and spit spraying all over me. He was angry, apparently.

"Please stop." I murmured, not meeting Black's gaze, afraid of what I would find there.

SIRIUS POV)

Her head was lowered, and I could feel both of our hearts pounding like wild birds in our chests, fighting to get out and taste the freedom. I was so close to her. We were almost one.

She was crying too. I could see that she was trying to hide it, but her tears glistened like stars; falling one by one, landing on my skin, scalding me with their sparkling goodness.

And like that the anger dissipated.

God, I felt ashamed of myself. I was like a fucking baby. Did I really need attention that much? Did I really need to be loved that much?

_Shit. _Adelaide. _Sweet, sassy, vulnerable, scared Adelaide. _

"I'm sorry." I whispered, crying freely. "I don't know what came over me. I'm frustrated." She didn't look up at me. She just flopped, sliding down the wall until she sat in a crumpled heap on the floor. "I'm sorry." I whispered again, following her down, and wrapping her in my arms. "I didn't mean it."

I sat there with her in my arms for hours. She was silent the entire time. We only moved when Harriet knocked on the door, asking I we were ok. Wordlessly, she had stood and left me there.

I am such an arsehole.

(ADELAID POV)

"A place?" I narrowed my eyes at Black, whispering so only he could hear me.

I was sitting at the breakfast table next to Black, whilst the two Potter men sat across us, both tucking into an English breakfast. Harriet was by the stove, frying an egg whilst shooting glances at us.

"Yeah. I can't stay with James and his family forever. Besides, I thought you hated him." He whispered back to me, before wolfing down some toast. I rolled my eyes. _Men. _

"I don't _hate _him, hate him. I just hate him. And, why not?" I replied. I had been tempted to say, 'Why not until we broke the spell', but I had a feeling that wouldn't go down too well with Black. To be honest, after last night, I was a bit scared of him. And I definitely did not want to be sharing a place with him- especially when we would be the only two people there. He rolled his eyes and leaned towards me.

"_Because_, it was all signed and done _before_ you came in to the picture. We can stay here for the rest of the holidays, but I need to meet with the estate agent to get the keys and final documents today. It will just be for the day, Adelaide."

"Fine." I huffed, ignoring Black's triumphant grin.

"What are you two lovebirds whispering about, over there?" Albert chuckled, cutting up some sausage on his plate.

"Me and Adelaide are going out for the day." Black replied, before I could even think of opening my mouth. Harriet and Potter looked up in shock. I elbowed his in the ribs, earning a groan of pain.

"We have business to attend to." I told them, knowing that if I mentioned an estate agent they would get all sorts of sick ideas into their heads. Like..._cringe_...Love. Yeah. It's pretty scary stuff I'm dealing with here.

"Business? Sure you won't try and kill him again?" Potter smirked, staring right at me. I smirked right back at him.

"Ha ha. So funny. Tell me, Potty, did the aliens just forget to remove your anal probe, or did you ask them to leave it in there? "

I was sat next Black on a train, and he did_ not_ look happy. The anal probe comment had not gone down well with him...or anyone for that matter. Well, _I _thought it had been funny. My opinion, however, does not count. Or so I am told. Honestly, whatever happened to freedom of speech? What was it that Voltaire had said? _I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it._ That was it. This notion, it would seem, was lost entirely on the wizarding population.

By the time we had reached Wolsingham- where the new house was situated, the initially packed carriage was nearly empty. The only other passenger was a grumpy old man wearing a grey suit. Gently, I nudged Black, who had his head lolled against the window, fast asleep. Automatically, his head snapped up and his bleary eyes opened.

"Hmmm?" he yawned, scratching the back of his neck.

"We're here." I said, checking my watch. It was just past four. That meant we had about an hour to get the documents etc and get on the next train back to Potty's place.

"Okay. Let's get going. Mandy said that she'd be waiting for us in the Littleton Cafe just down the road at quarter past four." He said, leading me of the train and out of the virtually deserted station.

"Isn't this place a little quiet for you?" I asked, as we trotted along the snowy road.

"I know. But, it just felt right." He chuckled, but abruptly stopped, remembering that he was mad at me. I rolled my eyes, inwardly grinning at his childishness. The act had almost been, dare I say it, _cute_.

"There it is." He said as we turned a corner, pointing at a rundown little building. It had an antique look to it- with peeling paint and dusty bronze lettering at its head reading: Littleton Cafe. This was definitely not Sirius Black.

As we stepped into the cafe, I was automatically hit with the mouth watering waft of freshly baked bread and other goodies. It was small but homey inside with squashy armchairs huddled around round coffee tables and a scattering of peach coloured two seaters. The walls were painted in a deep forest green and were draped with burnt sienna curtains and laces. It was horribly mismatched and in dire need of a 60 minute make over- but, for some strange reason- I felt right at home. As if this was it; the thing that I had been yearning for my entire life. I shook my head, and put it down to my hunger, Right on cue, my stomach grumbled. Flushing bright red, I avoided looking at Blacks' smiling face.

"Sit down, love. I'll grab us some food. "Instead of issuing the snarky comment that had been on the tip of my tongue, I nodded and plopped myself down on one of the peach sofas.

It was nine. Almost five hours since 'Mandy' the estate agent was meant to have arrived. _She's on her way_, according to Black _there's just traffic_.

Well, she sure as hell didn't have any problems taking her own sweet time about it did she? I had spent the last three hours trying to convince Black to just leave it and head home. He, however, was adamant that we stay- and what with the whole burning skin episodes, I couldn't just up and leave. Besides, I didn't know where the hell I was going.

"Don't worry about it. Once we get the forms signed- and that should take all of five minutes- we can get a taxi home. "

...

"I'm going to get some fresh air." I muttered when I could take sitting down no longer.

"Do you want me to-"

"No!" I snapped, whooshing out through the door.

The clear, country air was welcome and it bathed my stressed muscles in starlight.

"_Magic._" I whispered to myself, basking in the cool air.

"OUMPF!" I groaned, as something- someone- ran into me, pushing me into the wall.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" I growled, rubbing my now throbbing arm.

"I don't have time for cretins!" she snipped, throwing her head back in a haughty fashion. Without so much as an apology she pushed past me and entered the cafe. I followed her in, ready to start a fist fight if need be, intending to get an apology at the least. Only I was shocked to see her stride up to, Black with oscillating hips.

"Sirius! How wonderful to see you again! You left in such a hurry last time- you'll have to stick around for longer this time." the curvaceous blonde giggled.

"It's nine o'cloak, Mandy." Black sighed, looking slightly annoyed.

_Mandy? As in the Estate Agent, Mandy? Hump! _

"Mmm. There was awful traffic." She replied in a way that told me that there was no traffic at all. "Let's get some coffee- or would you prefer to go straight to the house. We could always open a bottle of wine. It's more..._naughty._" she said in what I assumed was meant to be a seductive voice, pushing Black into a seat and practically falling on top of him. Her skirt was riding up in all the wrong places and she pressed her chest up towards him. Anger flared within me. First the bitch walks into me, now's she was trying to get with my man. I mean...not _my_ man...but my husband- not by choice of course but- _Oh fuck it!_ She was screwing with the wrong girl.

As she set about attempting to touch every inch of his body at once, I noticed that she seemed far too familiar with him in the way she was cooing his name.

...Hold on a second...she...they...he...they wouldn't have? Would they?

"Look, Mandy- I don't think that's really appropriate to continue-" Black laughed nervously, trying to push the woman off of him. The Lady at the counter was watching them with a disgusted look on her face. An expression which was mirrored on my own face.

"Let's go to your place." She moaned, pulling them both out of the seat and heading right towards me. For a second, I wanted to hide...or something. But alas, I realised with mine and Black's current attachment, for lack of a better word, that would be impossible. So I took a deep breath and stood my ground, my arms folded.

"Oh. It's _you_ again." The blonde sneered as she took me in, resting her eyes scornfully on my muddy trainers.

"Adelaide." Black swallowed, his face clearly showing his fear. Of what I would do to him or what Mandy would do to him, I will never know.

"You _know_ her?" Mandy scoffed, as if the mere thought were ridiculous. I smiled, a wide, infuriatingly cheerful smile.

"Of course he does. I'm Mrs Black." I glowed, offering my hand to shake. When she didn't take it I simply smiled and slipped my hand into Black's.

"Euggmmm. Adelaide, this is Mandy- she's my Estate Agent. Mandy, this is my wife- Adelaide." Mandy was positively fuming. I was rather enjoying myself. I think I even managed to fool myself into thinking that Black's hand, currently gripping mine with warm affection, had nothing to do with it.

"Wife?" She laughed nervously. "Aren't you a little young to be married?"

_Aren't you a little old to be fucking him?_

Black was about to answer but I cut in before he had a chance to even blink.

"Well, we were so in love- it just felt so right. We had to get married." I replied, sending fake goo goo eyes at Black. I knew it was cruel- to use him like this, but he looked like he was enjoying it- so you know, I just went with it.

"Love?" she smirked, finding amusement in my words. "That's..._interesting._"

"Let's get this over and done with, Bl-Sirius. We need to get going or we'll miss the last train." I snapped, feeling very sour all of a sudden. Jesus. I was getting jealous over Black! What was the world coming to? What was _I_ coming to?

Woop woop. Chapter 14! This is the furthest I've ever got in a story! What are you guys thinking so far? Like it? Hate it? Let me know...in a review...which I love to read.


	15. I'm your Idiot

Hello, Hello, Hello, my wonderful readers! How have you all been?

It has been a while I know, but here I am with chapter 15! I loved writing this chapter and hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it!

PrincessDripDrop: o.0 Hmmm...I've just gone over past chaps and all my elaborate markings have disappeared. I am assuming that it is some computer-y stuff that I don't understand to blame here. I apologise for any confuzzlement caused! Anyhow, the new layout is as follows:

Three dashes, as shown above, signifies a change in characters perspective.

Three stars, as shown above, signifies a change in scene, time or setting.

A large chunk of Italics, unless otherwise stated, represents a flashback.

Hope that helps

Roses Roses And More Roses: HA HA! As always, your review brought a smile to my face. Congrats on the new hubby, do send him my salutations Personally, I think you should get him to read along And I KNOW! They should be...but I can't pass up the opportunity to cause more angst! To be fair, Adelaide is a pretty stupid smart person! :P But seriously (no pun intended) you know you love all of this jealously and sexual tension! Anyhow, let me know what you think of this chap. I think it'll be more to your liking than the last one.

The Weatherwitch: Glad you feel that way!

talyag: I know... Luckily, Adelaide suits green

Quick shout out to, PariJaan, Angiekon annnnnd Kuutanssi, thanks for the Alerts and welcome to this fanfic! Enjoy the ride, and have some cyber cookies

CHAPTER FITHTEEN

(SIRIUS POV)

This must be what heaven feels like. I mean, sure, Adelaide was just _acting_ all lovey dovey with me- but she was _jealous_. I saw it in her eyes when Mandy had given her a once over. She had been livid, and I suspect, if left to their own devices, the girls would have killed each other.

Sweet Merlin, my girl was jealous. Which is a good thing. She may not 'like' me so to speak...but she does have feelings for me. _Possessive_ ones at that. I may be wrong, but I think we may have just had a breakthrough!

As we made our way down a narrow pathway, I fought the urge to squeal. I know, Me, Sirius Black, squealing- over a girl nonetheless! Once upon a time that would have been preposterous, absurd and highly unlikely. I was always the sought after. Girls flocked around me...wanted me, without me even having to bat an eyelid. Of course, I had had my fair share of trysts in the past- Mandy included- but, now...well, now it's all changed. Adelaide, of course is the reason behind this. I've said it before, but I'm in love. I used to think living was all I needed. But now...it's like a cloud has been cleared from my soul. Everything feels light and beautiful. The sun seems brighter...and _holy hell_, the love of my life is jealous! She wants me...and she can have me too! I want her to have me. I want her to tell me what to do, and drive me up the wall and love me.

It's her.

_Always_.

"You need to sign, here, here, here and here." Mandy scowled, stabbing her clawed index finger at the ownership documents. I took the paper and signed where she had indicated with a muggle biro. It was weird not being able to use my quill, but Mandy might suspect something out of the ordinary if I were to whack out a quill. Adelaide told me that muggles stopped using quills centuries ago.

"Right. So is that it?" Adelaide yawned from the sofa where she sat, curled up in a ball. I wanted nothing more than to go over and wrap her up in my arms and just fall asleep.

"That's it." Mandy snarled back at Adelaide, standing up and throwing her papers into a bag. I cannot _believe_ I had _slept_ with this woman.

"Okay, then. I guess we should head of then." I smiled, gathering my things also. Adelaide jumped up at this and immediately began helping me. She was eager to leave apparently.

"Call me if you need anything...and I mean _anything._" Mandy smirked, stroking my face, giving Adelaide a sideward's glance. I was pleased to note that Adelaide had turned a deep shade of red- more jealousy.

RING. RING. RING.

(ADELAIDE POV)

I was surprised to hear the ringing of a telephone- but to be fair, the house had previously been owned by a muggle.

"Sorry. I'll just get that." Black said, jumping slightly. He knew what a phone was? Well, you learn something new every day.

As Black went to the phone in the other room, Mandy strutted up to me, swaging her hips so dangerously, that I had serious concerns about her falling over. She smirked as she trailed her cold ice blue eyes over me, her arms so tightly crossed that it was wholly possible that her breasts would explode from the confines of her sluttishly sparse clothing.

"You look like an orang-utan." I said in a matter-of-fact tone. It was a complete lie, of course. The bitch looked like a teenage boys fantasy wrapped up in a pink bow, just waiting to jump out of a giant cake. She was voluptuous and curvy in all the right places. Her apparel, although inappropriate, suited her. Really, the only fault in her was her...less than snowy character. Oh yeah...and the fact that she obviously found it difficult to keep her legs closed.

"Sweetheart, if _not _looking like a great ape, means looking like you...well, then, bring on the bananas, I say." She replied, tilting her head backwards, as though she was balancing a book on it.

"Whatever." I scoffed, leaning against the marble counter. "Of you hop back ho-"

"Listen, you little brat." Mandy snarled, lunging at me. She grabbed hold of my shoulders and shook me physically, her talons, digging into my thin cotton shirt. Huh…I guess that talon clipping charm would have helped out right about now.

"You. Are. Nothing. Do you think he really gives a damn about you? He's just looking for something to pass the time. When he gets bored of you, he'll come back to me-to see what a real woman is like. "

_A real woman_. She was like _forty!_ I scoffed, starting to get incredibly pissed off at this point.

"I am giving you to the count of three to let go of me, before I go ape shit and make you wish you had never been born." I seethed my voice dangerously low.

"He is only with you because you're easy. Just like a little whore. That is all you are. It's all you ever will be- a whore. A dirty...little...whore." she whispered, her hot breath spraying all over me like a poisonous gas, seeping into my skin, branding it a filthy, dead, thing. I was a whore. Of course I was a whore. In the literal sense of the word. I knew that.

I'm a whore.

"That's _enough._" A voice demanded. I turned my head slightly to see a livid Black, standing in the frame of the door, murder in his eyes.

"Siri-" Mandy began, dropping her hands from my arms. However, Black cut across her.

"Get. The. _Fuck._ Out. Of. My. House." He growled, taking a menacing step towards her.

"Oh come on Sirius- why don't you raise your standards a little bit?" the blonde scoffed, throwing me look of utter superiority. I wanted to say something- anything, but words failed me. All I could hear was 'whore' pounding in my head like a never-ending symphony of sin. Whore. Whore. Whore.

"GET OUT!" Black roared, bringing me back to earth with his resounding voice. Mandy took a step back at this, a wave of fear flittered over her face. In all honesty, the dangerous glint in Black's eyes was frightening me too. It seemed the wrath of Black would be something I would see more and more of over time.

One could only hope that it won't ever be directed at me.

"NOW!" he screamed when she made no move to leave, making me jump. Mandy gave me one long, hard glare that I returned with a blank expression. She squealed exasperatingly before round on Black and shrieking at the top of her lungs:

"FINE! I'M LEAVING! HAVE FUN WITH THE WHORE, YOU MISERABLE SOD!" In an instant, she scooped up her belongings and shot out the door, sobbing violently as she went.

...000-

"Well. That was awkward." Black muttered, gesturing at the open door after what seemed like an age, of silence. I simply stared back at him, wanting nothing more than to fall into bed and just sleep. I didn't want to think about the things that I had done anymore...I yearned for unconsciousness, despite its promise of nightmares. Somehow, I felt like there was someone guarding me as I slept, in a blanket of pulsating warmth and affection.

"That was Mrs P on the phone- she said that there's going to be a blizzard tonight. The roads are blocked so it's safer if we stay here." He added after a while, closing the door when I shivered.

"Okay. It's late we should get some sleep." I replied in a monotone.

"Okay." He agreed.

I climbed into the bed, clad in only Black's shirt- the only thing available that was comfortable enough to sleep in. Black, was left in a pair of old joggings he had found in one of the wardrobes still left in the house. It was a cold night, and had it not been for the fact that Black practically slept on top of me each night, I'm sure I would have frozen to death by now. On the contrary, the heat radiating from Black's bare chest left me a healthy shade of red. Luckily for me, it was pitch black in the room. My secret was safe.

"Adelaide." He whispered all of a sudden, hot breath tickling my neck.

"What?"

"You didn't take what Mandy said to heart did you?" I was silent. Black sighed, and rolled of me. The emptiness I felt as his skin left mine confused me. For a moment, he fumbled around in the dark, until there was a small clicking sound. The lamp on the bedside table lit up, casting the room in a dull, flickering glow.

Sitting up, Black looked at me with a frown on his handsome face.

"You aren't a whore." He said as I turned away from him.

"Leave it alone, Black." I yawned, pulling the covers around me, trying to conserve some body heat.

"Adelaide- look at me!" he ordered.

Now, I'm not one to take orders- from anyone, but the authority in Black's tone made me turn towards him. I glared.

Taking my face in his large, weathered, yet soft hands, he smiled. It was one of those smiles that made you open your eyes a fraction more. One of those smiles that made your insides glow. One of those smiles that told you that the whole world was crashing down around you in flames; but that was okay because _he_ had you in his arms and to _hell_ with the rest if it.

"You aren't a whore, love. You are my beautiful, brave, stupidly intelligent, _Mrs Black._" He whispered, moving so his forehead touched mine. The contact instantly sent fire through my veins. It was as if the knot in my stomach had just disappeared, and the cold emptiness I had been feeling had never even been there. "I love you." He told me.

I nodded and whispered, my voice cracking: "I know."

"You can cry." He said, unleashing the tsunami of tears that I had been holding back. He pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around whilst I blubbered against his unclothed shoulder.

I think, that was when first realised the presence of something new within me. A small bubble of feeling within me. It was like...sunshine. It was warm, soulful and...Beautiful. But I couldn't touch it. It was too powerful. Every time I tried to get close to it, it would burn me. But it was there. And I had a feeling that it would keep growing and growing until it consumed me completely.

I had never felt love before...but every instinct in me was screaming the same conclusion at me: I was falling for Black. And as long as he was catching me- I was fine with it.

That night, I stayed up and watched Black. Not in a pervy, I'm taking pictures of you kind of way; just watching. I just needed to process what I was feeling. I suppose, it was natural that I was falling for him. He knew more about me than anyone else in this world. He was attached to me in a way that, in all likelihood, meant that we were stuck with each other. It was completely ridiculous of course- it had been just yesterday that I'd been moaning about being forced to be with Black when I didn't want to be. God! It's like I'm this out of control..._teenager_. It's hard, you know, dealing with this...crap. In the last year and a half, I've seen people killed, tortured, been tortured, killed someone and watched an entire country come crashing down around me. So it's hard; to see things in perspective, to be close to someone-anyone- hell, sometimes even breathing can be hard.

(SIRIUS POV)

My eyes were closed, but I was wide awake. As usual, I held Adelaide in my arms, and my face was almost touching hers. She had been lying there for what seemed like ever, just staring at me. I knew it was early in the morning because of the gentle flickering of light seeping through the curtains.

I opened my eyes and smiled, automatically uplifted by Adelaide's calm, peaceful gaze. Her soft brown eyes poured into my own, and I got the impression that she was in deep, meaningful contemplation.

"What are you thinking?" I asked, yawning slightly. She shook her head causing her dark tresses to tickle my nose.

"You must be thinking something." I said, poking her playfully. "Aren't geniuses meant to think a lot?" She smiled at this and closed her eyes.

"I was thinking...that it's been a hard couple of years." She replied.

"That's life."

"I know."

"And just think... You managed to do some good." I said. "It was all worth it in the end wasn't it?"

"Yes. It was." She opened her eyes again and smiled softly.

"_And_ you managed to bag _me_ in the process, so it can't have been _that _bad." She laughed at this. Not just, a soft giggle, but a full out laugh. I laughed with her, enjoying the sound of her song. The way the morning light fell on her face...I tell you. Every single contour of her face, the way her hair fanned out around her, the way she wrinkled her nose- the way she looked at me; her eyes open, revealing to me the contents of her soul, and yet telling me nothing at all. I can't believe that I've spent how ever many years messing with other girls- being with them, looking at them, touching them- when all along, somewhere, in some world, Adelaide existed.

And now...it's like I've been walking around in the dark, aimless and not even knowing it. It's like my soul has been in misery; like it's been incomplete up until the moment I set eyes on her. Even when we're arguing, I can't help but love her.

I never used to believe in love. I was sure that it was just a silly make-believe thing, invented to keep us all under control. Merlin, I've been such a twat. How could love not exist? How could it be fake? How? When the trees grow as they do? When the sky is such a beautiful shade of blue? When I can live and breathe? When the whole world is buzzing, with life, and joy? How could I have been so wrong? How?

I looked back at Adelaide, who was watching me silently again.

"I'm sorry." Adelaide told me after a long pause.

"For what?" I asked.

"For being a bitch to you constantly. For always complaining about our...predicament."

My heart skipped a beat. She had apologised. I grinned. Did that mean that she loved me?

I lifted my hand to her cheek and held it there, positively ecstatic when she moved in closer to me. "I don't mind. Besides, you look pretty sexy when you're shouting at me, you know. "

Adelaide rolled her eyes, and, to my great surprise, cuddled up towards me, resting her head against my chest.

I swear to Merlin, I could have danced for joy right then!

She was willingly laying in my arms. In _my _arms. And she wasn't even remotely pissed of with me!

It was perfect,

_She_ was perfect.

_She is perfect._

"Black, stop ginning like an idiot- if the wind changes, were both stuck with that silly face!"

I let out a deep, throaty chuckle, holding her to me, ever more closer.

"I am an idiot, love. I'm your idiot."

Eeep...I love Sirius!

()()()(0000()()()

Anyhow, what did you all think? R&R!


	16. Was that all it was?

Hello,

I realise that is has been an absolute age since I last posted, but in my defence, I have been very ill. So, here is the chapter 16; I hope you enjoy it and please R&R.

Also, thanks to all the wonderful reviewers; you guys really do comfort me!

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

It was Christmas Eve and I was sat on Black's bed, at least a dozen spell books sprawled out around me. I was putting my all into catching up with the others and if I was being completely honest with myself; I had given up all hope of ever returning to my own world. And the fact was that even if there was a way, I would not be able to return. There was Black, and that was the end of it. So long as one of us was living, we would not be able to go anywhere without the other.

_But he would die._ I thought to myself, panic racing through me.

"Adelaide." I jumped, dropping one of my books. It hit the floor with a loud THUD. The door opened and Black's appeared. His smile, wide, open and breathtaking calmed my nerves.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. Here." He said, passing me some tea and a delicious looking cinnamon bun.

"Thanks." I said, taking them gratefully. I was beginning to get a bit hungry, and so far, I was trying to avoid Potter, Lily and Alice, who had come over for Christmas as agreed on the train.

"You know, you should come down for a bit."

I shook my head and leant over the bed to pick up the book that I had dropped. "I'd rather not."

"Addy, I know you don't like them, but couldn't you just try to get on with them. They are my friends, you know." I groaned, and pulled myself up.

"Fine. But if they decide to go off on one, then I shan't be held responsible for my actions. Got it?" I said, waiving my cinnamon bun at him.

"Got it." Black replied, grabbing my arm and taking a mammoth sized bite of my bun. I smacked his arm in retaliation as he bolted from the room and down the stairs.

_Boys._

"Sirius Black, you best have another bloody cinnamon bun waiting for me, or I'm going to kill you!" I yelled, following him.

0-0-0

I don't know how this is possible, but I've spent pretty much the entire holidays with Black and his friends...and no one has died. In fact, we've all gotten along. Even me and Potter! Of course, none of us are the best of friends, still; it's an achievement nonetheless. Black is positively blooming with joy and I keep catching him smiling goofily in our direction every time me and Potter manage to hold a civilised conversation. It's actually rather cute, if I'm honest. Ha! Who would have thought; Black. Cute! Still. I was warming up to him. We've even kissed a couple of times. Nothing _too _heated, but enough...well, enough to keep me on my toes!

Anyway, we were headed back to Hogwarts now. Myself, Lily, Potter, Black, Remus, Peter and Mary and Alice were sat in one compartment. I was sat next to the window and Black. Crisp and sweet packets littered the floor and it was raining heavily. Black had fallen asleep on my shoulder some time ago and the others had spent last quarter of an hour ripping me for it.

"Awwww...don't you look cute together." Lily cooed from opposite me.

"Yeah...Pad's drool makes the scene so much more romantic." Potter laughed.

I blushed furiously and jolted Black. He remained sleeping, and instead buried his face further into my neck and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Shut up!" I growled as the others roared with laughter. I was afraid that if my face got any hotter I would combust.

Much to my chagrin, my new 'friends' were still tittering away at my expense when we reached the castle. Sirius, now awake and refreshed, took it in stride and placed an arm around my shoulder, declaring to the world that:

"I'm not ashamed! Adelaide is my life's grande passion and it is my delight to place my unworthy head to her perfect form!" Of course, my husband being himself was very theatrical in his demonstration. I glared at him, displaying my annoyance.

When none of the others were looking he pressed a soft kiss to my forehead and told me he loved me.

I don't feel so angry anymore.

0-0-0

In the morning, I rose early and went to the Great Hall for some breakfast. I wasn't hungry, but I had had some particularly nasty nightmares the night before. I thought that it would be best if I had some time to myself to clear my head before I was around anyone. It's been months since...since Russia, and yet I can't forget it all. I wish that I could just clean it all from my mind, but, every time I close my eyes; it all comes rushing back to me. I miss home. I miss Nathaniel and Nikolai- I hadn't had any dreams about him in such a long time I was beginning to doubt that I had ever even had them. Was my mental capacity so fucked up that I was making up, making up things in my head?

I really am a freak.

I turned as I head a set of noisy footsteps heading my way.

"Sirius?" I said, surprised to see him awake to early.

"Morning." He said, flopping down next to me with a grunt. His wavy locks bounced energetically before falling into a wave of perfect shimmering goodness. "What?" he demanded when he caught me staring. He wore a paranoid expression and his hands flew to his face. I laughed and nudged him playfully.

"Can you make my hair shine like yours?" I asked, half jokingly and a lot seriously. It really was unfair that his hair was just so...so damn beautiful. I _am_ the girl in this relationship, you know!

He grinned mischievously and pulled me onto his lap, eliciting a very girlish squeal from myself. "Well, first you need to kiss me." He told me knowingly, tracing circles on my cheek with his nose.

"Sirius! Stop it! What if someone sees?" I scolded, half heartedly swatting at him.

"It's just you and me, love. And besides, if anyone were to come, they would only see the furiously bright light of golden rays transmitting our love waves through time and space." He told me. I sighed, knowing that I would not win, and allowed him to snog me till I couldn't remember my name anymore.

Somehow, I managed to pull it together before people started arriving for their breakfast. I mean, Sirius Black knows exactly what he's doing and all, but it was only the other week that I was trying my utmost not to retch into my breakfast as he and Marlene got down with it at the very table that we sat at now.

Eww. Marlene and Sirius.

Eurrggg. I just kissed Sirius. Who has kissed Marlene. And much more.

Eww.

"What's with that face?" Sirius asked, commencing his morning inhalation of food. People were beginning to wander into the Great Hall, all looking sleepy and grumpy.

"I just realised that you have Marlene germs. I'm rather disgu-" I stopped short. I wasn't overly weirded out about Marlene and Sirius...but how did he feel about some other guy having been all over me? Did he feel sick every time he touched me? Was he just trying to make the best of a bad situation? The beginnings of a deep rooted paranoia and panic flittered through me. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind and tried to concentrate on Sirius. Not Marlene.

It was no use though. I was living a lie.

"Oh my- Sweet Merlin!" I followed Sirius's line of sight and fought back a giggle as pumpkin juice dribbled down his open mouth.

"Oh." I managed to say, Rather pathetically might I add. "Well...would you look at the time. Maybe we should get going? Sirius...are you alright?"

"Addy. Is that my brother that Marlene is dry humping over in the corner?" he ground out in reply.

"Well...yes. I believe that is the general gist of what's happening. Oh come on! There are eleven year olds in this room! And Professors! And ME! That is X rated stuff that is! And in public!" I babbled in horror, my mouth hanging open. I realise that I probably should have been trying to calm Sirius down- but seriously! They were like...practically doing it...in a very energetic way! I didn't even know you could bend that much- and I'm an actual certified genius! I was feeling physically sick.

"What's going on, here?"

"Marlene and Regulus are pro-creating." I replied as Potter, Peter and Remus sat down. Potter glanced at Sirius and mouthed to me; "Is he okay?" I shrugged and poked Sirius.

"_What?_" he snapped. A guilty look replaced his angry one as soon as he said it. I raised an unimpressed eyebrow and asked him if he wanted to go to class now. He replied in the negative and proceeded to eat everything within sight of him. I could tell he was upset. Did he really like Marlene? Was he jealous? I don't know. Why am I asking myself these questions?

"I'm going to class." He said, all of a sudden, shooting up from his seat and stalking off to class.

"Wow." Potter muttered, looking at me.

"Very." This was awkward.

Lily joined our group, sitting next to me.

"Morning all. Where's Sirius? I would have thought he'd be consuming him own body weight in food by now. " she said. Peter pointed in the general direction of _them._

"Oh. That's awkward." Lily frowned.

"Very." I added.

0-0-0

After about five minutes, I could take it no longer.

"I'm going to go and find him." I said, grabbing my bag from under my seat.

"Good idea." Potter said. "Have a heart to heart and if that fails, snog him. Should help." Lily and I simultaneously rolled our eyes as I left, aware that Marlene was giving me a haughty look. (Professor Slughorn had managed to get them to stop.)

I found Sirius in the empty Potions classroom, his back straight as he stared gormlessly at the blackboard. Everyone was at breakfast, so it would be at least another thirty minutes before anyone else would disturb us.

"You okay?" I asked timidly, unsure of myself as I sat down a couple of seats from Sirius. He grunted in response.

"Would you care to elaborate? Or at least employ the use of the English language?"

He grunted again. I sighed, feeling put out. I guess it really was all a sham. A very well put together one. Sirius liked Marlene for whatever reason...was jealous of Regulus and was just putting up with me because he had seen what I had only just recently realised; that we were stuck together indefinitely. And I was the absolute and utter twat for being taken in by it all.

"Sirius; I know you're upset and shocked...I can understand that." I began, loosening my tie, which all of a sudden felt like a vice tight clamp sitting across my neck. "But acting like a moody brat will not help you in the least."

"Adelaide. That. Was. My. Little. Brother." He ground out, fisting his hands into tight balls and slamming them on the desk. I jumped slightly.

"I know." I replied, suddenly feeling the will to live drain from me. I was just beginning to like...possibly more Sirius and now he was all...bleugghhh. I don't even know anymore!

"They didn't even tell me! They could have at least said something! Instead I'm left to just find out casually at breakfast. That kind of thing...no matter what happened in the past, you don't just forget about the other person and just get on with it!"

"Sirius...you do just get on with it. I mean, what were they meant to do? Drop you an owl? I mean they were hardly going to tell you in person, were they?" I replied, agitated. Why now? Of all times, why was he being honest with me now? Oh God. "Are you crying?" I asked, disbelievingly.

"No. I am not!" he snapped, wiping his eyes furiously.

"I cannot believe this!" I scoffed, getting up and tucking my chair back under the desk haphazardly. "I cannot believe you! You go on like you love me and then you go completely...like this!"

"Addy-" Sirius began, looking up at me with a worried expression.

_Well, he had been caught out after all!_

"Do you know what? I don't care!" I roared, swinging my bag over my shoulder and glaring dangerously at him. "I thought...I thought that I..."

"Thought what, Addy?" he asked, his grey eyes seeking mine out.

"That I love you." I replied in a terrified whisper.

Sirius looked like he wanted to say something to me, but I just shook my head and walked out.

0-0-0

Sirius P.O.V:

"_That I love you."_

WOW.

Double WOW.

Triple WOW.

With Marshmallows on top.

Adelaide loves me.

Like really loves me.

WOW.

I've already said that.

I am seriously, no pun intended, confused. If she loves me, then why did she just leave like that? I don't get it.

Unless she was jealous. Or maybe she was just upset that I hadn't just told her the truth there and then?

But surely, _surely_ she should have known that, no matter what had happened that I would still have feelings for them? I mean...bonds like that, they don't disappear. Couldn't she understand that?

Okay, okay. Insecurity issues. That's it. That's what Adelaide has. She feels threatened by everything that's happened. _I_ can understand that. It still doesn't mean that I can't feel the way I feel. I mean, I can deal with all her crazy whims and whatnots. Surely she can just accommodate me just a little bit.

I don't know anymore.

Oh fucking hell! Why am I standing here like a goddamn melon? I should be running after her!

0-0-0 Nosy Maruader's P.O.V

James, Peter and Remus were standing idly with their backs to their classroom door. Sirius and Adelaide were still in there, talking.

"_...I love you."_

The three teens both looked at each excitedly.

"Looks like Pad's lucky day!" James chuckled, genuinely pleased for his friend. Not only was he shot of Marlene McKinnon, but Adelaide had finally fallen for his charm. All in all, Sirius Black would be a very happy bunny.

"He actually managed it!" Remus exclaimed in bafflement.

"Oh Poo!" Peter yelped after a moment.

"What? What is it?

"He's won the bet. He got her to fall for him. We owe him a hundred Galleons. Each."

The boys took a minute to mourn the loss of their gold.

"He's probably forgotten about it by now." James said hopefully. After all, he'd gotten the girl. What more could he want?

"Let's not mention this and hope to Merlin that he has forgotten. Or that Adelaide will keep his mind in more amicable places." Peter replied, grinning. He too was happy for his friends. They deserved some happiness.

"Hey guys. Do you have this really bad feeling?"

"About what, Moony?"

"Like someone's watching-" their eyes grew to saucers as they turned around. "-us." Remus Lupin swallowed hard and the colour drained from his already impossibly pale complexion.

There, with tears in her eyes and a livid expression stood Adelaide Petrova looking every bit like a mad exorcist.

"Adelaide wait!" The class door swung open and Sirius jumped out. He opened his mouth to say something. He looked pissed off about something.

"Fucking hell, Black!" Adelaide shrieked, attracting the attention of the students now slowly making their way to class.

"Whoa. What?" Sirius said, now completely at a loss. Why on earth did Adelaide look so angry? Was it that time of the month, or something?

Without thinking, Adelaide pulled back a fist and threw it forwards with all her might. There was loud CRACK and a howl of pain from Sirius.

"What on earth is going on here?" Lily newly arrived, demanded.

"A bet? Was that all it was? A bet?" Adelaide whispered, tears streaming from her eyes. She looked positively forlorn and the very sight of her made Sirius want to bash his head against the wall. For a moment he was confused and then the look his friends gave him suddenly made him remember the bet he had made with his friends so long ago.

"_I bet you all a hundred Galleons apiece that I can get her to fall for me by the end of the year."_

"Adeleaide...I..."

"A bet?" She repeated. Shaking her head, she adjusted her bag and wiped her tears,

"Right. Well, I'm off to class now." She said shakily, running off in the wrong direction.


	17. And I'll help you forget

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:

Hi guys, It has been a while-ish since I last updated, anyway, here you go!

GreyHaru

hey there! i really like your story and i really can't wait to see what's gonna happen next! please update again soon!

~Thank you so much! I really appreciate you saying that and I hope you like the next chapter. Let me know what you think

talyag

uh oh, spaghettios

~ Uh oh, Spaghettios indeed! Let me know how you thought chapter 17 plays out! Enjoy

PrincessDripDrop i love it! can't wait to read more!

~ Thank YOU! And in that case, here you are! Read away my friend and enjoy the magic of Hogwarts Oh...and let me know what you think about chap 17. I'm a little bit worried that I am making Adelaide to...well too much of a sissy! I think I'm letting the drama Queen in me run loose and splurge out into poor little Addy :P

A Bet. A goddamn, fucking bet!

"A BET!" I screamed out to no-one in particular, hurling my bags at the wall. "A bet."

I didn't even know why I was so shocked. Men. Men were like this. Vladoslav taught me that. Sirius Black made me forget. I had let my guard down, and this was what happened. I needed to sort myself out.

I strode across to my bag and began to shove everything back into it. There was no use crying about it now.

He'd be here soon. What with the stupid spell.

I sighed.

I was stuck with him. I was heartbroken. I was completely alone.

Life sucks.

Using my sleeve, I wiped away my tears. My eyes were puffy and felt it like they'd expanded to double their size, but there was little I could do about it. There and then, I resolved that I would not do this anymore. I would not...I would not feel this for _him._ I'd make myself forget. I'd get out of it.

Something. Anything.

I'd stop the pain, and I would make sure I came out of this alive.

"Adelaide!" I turned my head to see him there, panting, his hair in a mess, red cheeks, broken nose and a solemn expression. "Adelaide. Please. Listen to me, love."

I smiled.

"There's nothing to listen too. Let's get back to class." I told him, moving past him. He put his arm on my shoulder and pulled me around.

"Not until you hear me out!" he growled angrily; as if he had the right to be angry, as if he was the one that had been betrayed.

"Fine!" I snapped. "Say it and get it over and done with."

"You've got the wrong end of the stick-"

"So you didn't make a bet?"

"I wish, I hadn't."

"SO HOW HAVE I GOTTEN THE WRONG END OF THE STICK?" I bellowed, causing him to flinch visibly.

"Adelaide, I made that bet that first day I met you; before I had feelings for you. It was a silly joke. That is not why I told you I love- I really do love you. And you know that. And you love-"

"Oh. So you made it before you had feelings for me. Well _that's_ okay then. As long as you were objectifying me _before_ you had feelings for me! I mean, why on earth would I be _upset_ that you're making me out to be nothing more than a common WHORE!" I retorted sarcastically, throwing my arms into the air dramatically.

"Adelaide...please you have to-" Sirius began helplessly. He lifted his hand up to my cheek, but I slapped it away.

"I trusted you. I told you things...things that... All you care about is yourself. " I huffed, struggling to get the right words out. I wanted to hit him where it hurt, but the words...they just mumbled and merged together in a big mess.

"You still can. You can always trust me." He whispered, letting his arms fall helplessly to his sides. I just shook my head and swallowed.

"No. I can't."

The fact that I could even speak was astonishing. I was going to fight it eventually; but sweet Merlin, was I in love with Sirius Black.

0-0-0

It had been a month. An entire month since I had found out about_...the bet_. To say that I was still pissed off was an understatement. My fury was of biblical proportions.

I would not talk to Sirius. I would not look at Sirius and I would not listen to him.

Right now, he was Public enemy number one...well, to me he was. Everyone else still loved him...and laughed at me. I was quiet the pity show these days. I could be walking down the corridor, and suddenly, some snotty little first year would be like 'Oh look. That's the girl that Sirius Black went out with as a bet!' And those were the nicer comments. I mean, people were positively baffled that we were always together. I was downright outraged! I looked pathetic! Desperate! Dumbledore wasn't even looking for a way to break the stupid marriage spell! And...Sirius...he was constantly..._there._ Some days he'd just stare at me. Others he'd beg me to take him back. And today? Well today, he was sat in a corner reading a Quidditch magazine as I stood next to Madame Pomfrey studying an assortment of glass vials as part of my healing extra studies.

"Well, you seem to have gotten the hang of things easily." The matron told me, as I helped her put the vials back into their places. "I think that we've done plenty for this morning. You two should go to Hogsmeade before the day is over. It's a beautiful day today. "

I smiled and nodded before saying goodbye. Without a word to Sirius, I glided out of the hospital wing, knowing that he would follow me soon enough.

"Where to now?" Sirius asked, catching up to me easily.

I did not reply, turning left sharply.

"Did you want to meet up with Evans?"

...

"She's probably with James and the others; they were going to do some studying for that test next week or something."

I didn't respond.

"Adelaide. Please say something."

More silence on my part.

He stopped, and took hold of my hand.

"What!" I snapped, pulling my hand back.

"I'm sorry." He told me, looking into my eyes with his swirling grey ones. "I'm an idiot. Please forgive me."

I sighed, despising myself for wanting to give in. _No. Remember Vladoslav. Remember what he did to you!_

I shook my head and closed my eyes.

"Please stop. Just stop. You keep telling me that you love me. If you really loved me, then you'd stop. You would just let me live out the rest of my days with what little dignity I have left." I whispered, feeling a single tear rush down my cheek.

"No. That's not what love is. Love is keeping on going against the odds- it's selfish and it's not giving up the other person; not because you hope that they're going to make it through, but because they're so much a part of you that you just can't act any other way. You keep telling _me _to give up if I love you. Can't you see that I have no choice but to love you? That I have no choice but to keep fighting for you against all the odds." He whispered back to me, pressings his hands gently to either side of my head and pressing his forehead against mine. The soft tickles of his hot breath made me feel clammy and hot.

"I know what you're scared of, love. I know. I get it. But I still can't give up on you. I just can't. In ten, twenty years, even if you still hate me, even if I mess up, I won't ever stop wanting you-_needing_ you. You're my soulmate."

He kissed me then. Softly at first, then with more passion and heat. The raw emotion that was flying between us; that was soaring through my mind...God, It felt...magical. And then I started crying; ruining the moment. Not just weeping, crying; full out, snotting and sobbing hysterically crying.

"Oh for _Merlin's_ sake, Black! Haven't you upset her enough?" I heard someone- it sounded like Lily- snap. I looked up and sure enough, I was met by an enraged red head. She sent a scathing look at Sirius before she wrapped me in her arms and began cooing. This made me sob harder. To be honest, I don't even know why the hell I was crying. It was possible that the kiss had been so amazing that I was reduced to this babbling mess.

"What's the matter?" she asked stroking my hair.

"I'll...err...just wait in the hall for you guys." Sirius said before leaving me and Lily alone.

"Nubfink." I managed to reply after a full ten minutes. Lily, after hearing about the bet, had gone completely berserk at Sirius, and by default, she decided that I was her friend again. For some silly reason, I was just going along with it.

0-0-0

Later that evening, I was sat besides Lily, having dinner. We had been chatting about the upcoming test- she was worried about failing.

"It'll be fine. You've always been excellent at Potions."

"That's beside the point! You heard Slughorn; he said it is all based on technique. We've probably never even studied the potion before!" she'd replied, her voice raising a few octaves until it reached an annoyingly high pitch.

"Lily, stop squealing." I laughed, ignoring the four boys that were heading our way. I had been expecting them of course- our maximum half an hour time apart period was over. "It will be fine."

"Hi." Potter said as he sat down. Lily glared at him and threatened to stab him with her fork. This made me smile. As a result of all this betting business, neither I, nor Lily was on speaking term with any of the boys. It was a shame really. I wished that things would just go back to the way that they had been. All I wanted right now was to give in to Sirius, to let me sweep me of my feet and ruin me. I wanted him to invade my mind, take over and let me shut down. I think that was why I had started crying earlier. He wasn't Vladoslav. And somewhere, deep down; I wanted him to be. Because, Vladoslav was a bastard...I could hate him and hate everything about him. But I was in love Sirius Black, and even though what he did didn't have an inch on what Vladoslav did, it hurt..._infinitely _more. And whilst his caresses were what I needed, they burned me in ways that I didn't understand. I thought he loved me. I thought he respected me. And oh God. Did any of this even matter? He was going to die soon.

"Why did you do it?" I asked all of a sudden.

"What was that, Adelaide?" Lily asked, and the others quietened down.

"Why did you do it? Why did you make that bet?"

The boys looked at one another uncomfortably. "_well?_"

"It was stupid. We were wrong." James said, finally breaking the awkward silence.

"_Yes._ But why? At the time. You must have had a reason."

"I didn't think he'd be able to do it."

"So you did it because you wanted the money."

"Yes."

"What about the rest of you?"

"Me and Remus didn't think he could do it either. I think all of us wanted to see Sirius get rejected again. It was funny when you kneed him in the delicates." Peter told me. That made sense. It all did. I looked at Sirius.

"I thought you were pretty. And then I got annoyed because this lot thought I wouldn't be able to do it."

"So you three wanted to see your friend get rejected and make money in the process. And you-" I pointed at Sirius "Just wanted another slag to dangle on your arm?"

The boys shared another uncomfortable look. "Did it ever occur to any of you, how I might've felt? Did any of you ever think, for a second, that I might be a psychologically, _fucked up_ person who would get really pissed off about this? Did it ever occur to ANY of you, that I might have issues? Did it never cross your minds that I am not an object- that I am a toy or an animal to be conquered or a race horse? I'm a human being! Just like you...just because you're a man- just because you've got the upper hand...it _does not_ give you the right to do that...any of that!" By the end of my dramatic speech, I was stood up, my fists angrily sat on the table, and the rest of the hall was in silence, listening to my every word.

No one said anything.

_Hell, if I've gone mad, I might as well go all the way. _

Without thinking, I jumped up onto the table and called for attention.

"People of Hogwarts! I know you've all been curious about what's been happening between myself and Sirius Black, and I realise that there are several stories running round the mill. Today, I'm hoping to clear up the facts, and let you all know what's been going on."

"Adelaide, _What are you doing?_" Sirius hissed, trying to pull me down.

"Don't touch me!" I snarled back "I came to Hogwarts at the beginning of the term. No family- all dead or otherwise unreachable. Then, out of nowhere, along comes Sirius Black in all his _glory_. He decides that he's screwed every other girl there is and as I'm the only one left, he needs to take a stab at me too. So you see, because I was raised to believe that it's _okay_ to not like someone like that, I say no. So he and his merry little gang, decide to bet on me; as if I am an animal or toy, not a human being, with feelings too. Then...ohhh...then, James Potter, retard _extraordinaire_, reads a spell out loud! _Poof!_ I am now married, irrevocably to Sirius Black. I can't even get away from him for half an hour; otherwise we're tortured by some invisible force! But hey! Why should I worry? It's not like I want a life of my own. It's not like I need stability or a safe relationship. Why should I give a monkeys that I am forever stuck with a man who doesn't respect me? And you...yes you! All of you...just wandering around...talking about me! I hear it all you know! You all think that I'm a slag! Well I'm not! I am a per-HEY! What are you doing! "

Sirius had gotten up and thrown me over his shoulder. I beat furiously on his back.

"Let me down!" I yelled, as the students and staff of Hogwarts looked on in shock.

"LET ME DOWN!" I yelled, kicking and punching wherever I could.

"NO! I will not let you down!" Sirius growled angrily at me, storming through a crowd of gobsmacked teens, and then through several deserted corridors.

When we reached our special quarters, he dropped me on the sofa and glared ferociously at me.

"Why are you doing this to yourself, Addy? They're just gonna talk more. And it won't hurt me...it will hurt you. Just be angry at me...just hate me...but don't hurt yourself. I'm not worth it." He yelled, throwing his hands up in the air.

"You don't know anything!" I roared, getting up. I pulled my wand out and stood in a battle stance.

"I know that you hate me." He whispered, pain evident in his eyes.

I shook my head and let my wand drop to the floor. "You are the biggest idiot on the planet!"

"I'm sorry, Adelaide. If I could stop your pain, I would." He said pathetically. I picked up a pillow and flung it at him.

"I Love you!" I yelled in anger, surprising him. "I love you! Like nothing I've ever felt before! So why can't I make it go away! Why can't I forget what you've done? Why can't I forget what he did? Why? Why does it hurt? Why can't I die? "I screamed, slumping to the floor, in a heap of tears.

And then, Sirius Black, My one true love, sat down beside me. He pulled me into his lap and kissed my forehead gently. I admit, what he did next made me speechless.

Taking a deep breath, he looked me square in the eye and belted out words that I would never have expected from him.

"When all the cows were sleeping and the sun had gone to bed. Up jumped the scarecrow and this is what he said "I'm a dingle dangle scarecrow with a flippy floppy hat, I can shake my hands like this and shake my feet like that. When all the hens were rousting and the moon behind a cloud, Up jumped the scarecrow and shouted very loud "I'm a dingle dangle scarecrow with a flippy floppy hat, I can shake my hands like this and shake my feet like that." He finished my flinging his feet out, shaking them madly and sending us both flying backwards. I ended up lying on top of him.

"W-wh-what-the-he-he-hell?" I said, half sobbing, half laughing. He just looked up at me and smiled. Wiping away my tears with the pads of his thumbs, he spoke.

"I love you too. And I'll help you forget. And I will help you move on and heal. I will love you forever." He fiddled in his pocket for a second and brought out a deep purple velvet box. My eyebrows furrowed as he opened it.

There, in a bed of white silk, was a gold ring kitted out with a huge shimmering diamond.

"What-"

"I know that we got married because of the spell...but I love you- so much. I want to the spend the rest of my life with you and I need you to be all mine, and I need you to need me to be all yours too. Because that's what we are. We belong together. And this ring, is from me to you; because it needs to be from me. It needs be have my love written in it, and I need you. I'm sorry about the bet. I was foolish and I wasn't up to the task of loving you. You couldn't trust _that_ person. Because _that_ person didn't love you. But me, the one who is _here_ with you now, knows what love is. I know that you're the most _precious_ thing in _any_ world...you _are_ my world. And I will never let you down. I will always be with you, no matter what."

"Oh, Sirius." I muttered and leant down to kiss him.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()9

Well...What did you guys think?

Just be honest...is Adelaide to much of a soppy cry-baby? I feel that I'm making her pathetic, but at the same time, I need her to grow as a person. WHAT DO I DO? Oh dear!


	18. I would never see the man I loved again

Hi all! It has been a very very long time I know, but I've been bogged down with personal nd school stuff. But Chapter 18 is here…it's short, but I didn't want to mix any of the other stuff into it….ermmm….pleas R&R, as I would love to know what you are all thinking!

And once again, thank you to all the wonderful reviewer who left such wonderful and inspiring reviews…you know none of this would happen without you, right?

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:

Nobody was more upset or disappointed in me that Lily Evans. The morning after Sirius and I had made up, we walked to the Great Hall for breakfast, holding hands and laughing. Whilst the other Marauders looked pleased that I was not going to be screaming at them anytime soon, Lily was livid.

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded as we sat down.

"Breakfast…did you not realise?" Sirius snipped back sarcastically. It appeared that he was not pleased with Lily's open show of disapproval.

"Hilarious, Black. I was talking about-" she motioned at us frantically "_this_."

I decided to allow Sirius to handle the situation for the time being whilst I watched with amusement, the discomfort that was becoming more and more apparent in the Marauders and Alice.

"What about this?" Sirius hissed, his fists clenching in his lap. Discreetly, I placed a hand on his, in what I hoped was a comforting manner.

Lily inhaled sharply and stood up.

"There are people watching, so I will make this short and sweet." She said, not looking a Sirius, but me instead. "He bet on you…and now you're acting all lovey dovey with him. You need to start respecting yourself. That's all I have to say." He whirled around in an angry flurry of red locks and proceeded to storm out of the room leaving a hall full of confused people.

I tried telling myself to stay seated. I tried telling myself that this was certainly not worth it. I tried. Honestly I did. But about thirty seconds later I had jumped up and was running after Lily, Sirius and James hot on my tail.

"Wait!" I yelled, just as she was about to turn a corner. "I said wait!"

Of course she didn't and it was only when I caught up with her and physically restrained her that she stopped.

"Oh, what is it?" she snapped.

We were in a deserted corridor now, although I noticed some old paintings watching us with great interest.

"What you said back there…say it again."

She stared at me baffled for a moment but complied. "You need to respect yourself. He's just walked all over you and you're just taking it lying down. Respect yourself."

"Do you see how hypocritical you are being? –No! Don't interrupt me. It's my turn to talk." I demanded as the red head began to talk. She promptly closed her mouth and crossed her arms, leaning on her right hip, clearly annoyed. "Yes Sirius has just been an absolute arse. Do you know what though…you all have. You-none-of you" I motioned to the other Marauders who had just arrived "even knew I existed. You acted like my friend Lily, and then when I was down- when I was sat in the common room- crying my eyes out like I was going to die…you turned on me. You ignored and avoided me for ages! I was so alone…but that didn't even register on anyone's mind. It was only after the whole bet thing that you decided you wanted to be my friend. What? Did you feel sorry for me or something? Let me tell you something, if respecting myself means cutting everyone of who's ever wronged me…you're out, darling."

She gaped like a fish.

"I thought so. This" I motioned at all of us. "Is not going to work if we keep lettings all the stupid things that are unchangeable, get to us. We're none of us perfect. So I propose that we all forget the bad things that have happened so far, and move on. We make the future ourselves. Let's all decide to get along. Deal?"

()()()()()()()

It had been months since we had all decided to stop our childish little war on each other. James and Lily inevitably got together. They've been dating for two months now, and I don't think I've seen either of them happier. Remus as ever is buried in a book, smiling his knowing smile and simply being himself. Mary and Alice have both calmed down significantly and are surprisingly good company. Marlene is the same bitch she always was.

But the two people who are closest to me…who I love the most in this little world of wonders, are of course Peter and Sirius. They two of the most radiant people I have ever met. Sirius…he's like a ball of never ending energy. He's forever at my side making me smile and laugh. And Peter too. His endless patience and ability to listen and comfort is a trait I had not expected to find in him. They were my boys, and every day that I was with them, I felt sick with terror. They would both die…prematurely. As would the others.

I think it was that terror, perpetual and with the ability to shake me to my core that me decided to spend the next three years that way I would choose to.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Riddle's Diary. Current Location: In the possession of one A J Caskis...somewhere in London.

Marvolo Gaunt's Ring. Current Location: Gaunt Shack.

Salazar Slytherins Locket. Current Location: Horcrux cave.

Huffelpuff's Cup. Current Location: Lestrange Family vault. I think.

Ravenclaw's Diadem. Current Location: Room or Requirement.

Nagini, Current Location: Unknown.

I put down my quill and watched as the ink dried on the pages of my small notebook.

So I had three years to find and destroy Lord Voldemort's Horcrux's. That would mean that by the time Harry was born, Voldemort would be mortal. That would make everyone's life a lot easier. And I'd been thinking about this for a while now. I know that I have to destroy the Horcrux's. But in order to do so…I need spies.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Lily, as she always was before heading off to her Head Girl duties, was in the Library revising. A few tables away from her, Severus Snape was gazing longingly at her back. It was sad really. How much he loved her that is. I stood behind a bookshelf until Lily left. He stared vacantly at the space she had been sitting at for a moment before shaking his head slightly. He got up and flung his bag over his shoulder and made his way to the door. Quietly I followed him, my hand in my pocket holding my wand.

It was only when we reached a cold, deserted corridor deep in the dungeons that he acknowledged my presence.

He had his wand out as he turned to face me.

"Why is it that you are following we?" he asked curtly. We had never been the best of friends, but ever since my nuptials with Sirius had become public, he became more and more publicly hostile towards me.

"I know that you love Lily." I said, expecting at least a bit of drama. But no, true to Snape style, he merely stared at me.

"I know that you'd do anything for her. She needs your help." This caught his attention. He, in an ever bat-like manner, moved closer towards me.

"What kind of help?" he asked. I sighed inwardly, relived that I was at least sort of getting through to him.

"In three years time, Lord Voldemort will try to kill her. And unless you help me, he'll succeed." I replied quickly, knowing exactly how ridiculous I sounded.

"And how do you know this?" he was clearly sceptical, but wasn't ruling anything out.

I knew I could convince him….but only if I told him a tinsy winsy little bit f a porky.

"I'm from the future. I know it will happen because I was there. I came back to this time to save her…I can save you too."

"I don't believe you."

"Well you should! It's the truth. But that is beside the point. Are you willing to risk Lily's life just because you don't believe me? "

There was a long and hollow silence.

Finally, Snape spoke. "What do I have to do?"

()()()()()()()()()

"Peter."

"Alina! What are you doing here? I thought I was going to meet you all at Hogsmeade?" Peter panted as he ran around furiously his dormitory trying to capture a barn owl.

"Here." I said waving my wand which resulted in the owl freezing in mid flight. Peter caught the brown owl and quickly put him in his cage.

"Thanks! I've been trying to catch him fo- what's wrong?" he paused, looking up at me thoughtfully.

This would be hard.

"Peter…I need your help." I whispered hoarsely.

"Anything. You know I'd do anything for you." He replied without hesitation, taking my hands in his own.

"I know Pete," I wept "That's why it's so hard for me to ask."

Wiping my tears with his sleeves he smiled comfortingly. "Whatever it is…you can tell me. You can trust me."

"This is going to sound bizarre and impossible. I know it is. But you have to promise not to tell a soul. This is between you and me. Understand?" Peter nodded, eyes wide.

"Do you trust me? Do you trust that sometimes I know things that I can't explain, but I just know?" I asked seriously.

"Yes. Of course I do."

"Okay. In three years, James and Lily are going to die." I said gravely.

"What? How? I don't underst-" Peter stood up sharply, confused and disturbed.

"I know. I know this sounds crazy…but it's the truth. But I know a way that we can save them. And Sirius and Remus too. They're going to die too unless we do something."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

It took Peter a week to decide that he believed me. He couldn't even understand why he believed me, but he did. That was the main thing. So now I had both Snape and Peter on my side. It would take me three years to make this plan work. And if all went to plan then everyone would be better off. There would be one less orphan in the world and Sirius would be able to live a normal life.

()()()(()() THREE YEARS LATER:

"mmm….I wish you didn't have to go, love. I wish we could just stay here forever." My husband murmured, holding me towards him. We had just made love to each other for the first time; almost four years after we had first met. I hadn't been ready before. Sirius understood that, and never expected anything more than that. I had been beautiful. Clean and pure. Nothing like what I'd experienced before.

"Me either." I said, desperately trying to keep my voice even. "But we said we'd help with the Order." I got up and started throwing my clothes on haphazardly.

Sirius sat up and huffed. "Fine…go…leave me…..I'll just stay here and cry." He pouted, breaking my heart as he did so. I cupped his face in my hands and stared into his beautiful eyes.

"I love you." I whispered before kissing him gently.

"I thought you had to go." He grinned, thumbing the edges of my lips.

"I do. Goodbye, Sirius." I said before apparating to Godric's Hollow, knowing I would never see the man I loved again.


	19. And then I left

Helloooo! This is another chapter….it's really short, but I literally just uploaded the last chapter so it shouldn't be too much of a big deal. Anyway, R&R!

CHAPTER NINETEEN:

I hesitated for a moment at the door of two of best friend's home. I wished I could tell them the truth- let them know that I loved them all, and that this was not the real me. But the fact was, I loved them too much to tell them the truth. I knew what I had to do…for them. For him.

I ran into the cottage, real tears streaming down my face. James Lily and Harry were in the living room, playing happily. Both parents had whipped out their wands but lowered them when they realised it was me.

"Adelaide! What's wrong?" Lily demanded seeing my distressed state.

"You-Know-Who." I said. "He knows where you are. Peter's dead. There's only a matter of minutes."

I felt immense guilt as James' face drained of all colour became panicked.

"We have to run!" Lily yelled, grabbing Harry.

"No! He'll expect Harry to be with you. You two need to go to the safe house. I'm taking Harry to Hogwarts."

"But-"

"Lily there is no time! GO! I will guard Harry with my life!" I said, meaning every word.

James kissed his son's forehead and pressed my shoulder. He was telling me that he trusted me. That he believed me.

"Adelaide…don't let anything happen to him. Please." The red head begged, tears smudging her mascara until she looked like a panda.

"Of course not. Now give him to me and go." I said, taking Harry. She too kissed her son.

"Harry I love you." She muttered before she and James apparated away.

Harry looked up at me, green eyes filled with wonder.

"Auntie Adelaide's been very naughty." I told him, crying. "She's going to make a lot of people sad today. It's worth it though. You're worth it Harry. Voldemort is going to be here soon." I said, putting Harry down in his crib. I swear, the way he was looking at me, he knew what was happening. He was telling me that it would be okay.

There was a loud bang. My heart rate accelerated, and within moments, he was there…in the same room as me. He reeked of evil, bald and plastered with a layer of thing off white skin.

"Give me the boy, and I'll spare you." He slithered at me like a snake. My legs were shaking. I was genuinely terrified.

"No." I whispered. "You'll have to kill me first." I said, thinking of Harry, his parents, Remus, Mary, Alice, Peter and of course my Sirius. And how much I loved them. How much they needed me to do this.

"Very well..." he said in his silky voice. "Avada Kevada!"

There was a blinding green light. I was aware briefly of the fact that it was coming towards me before my entire world went blank.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Sunlight, bright and unrelenting blinded me as my eyes flickered open. Coupled with a headache from hell, I felt as though the world had it out for me. It took me a moment to realise that I was lying in some bushes. Groaning, I forced myself upright, trying to remember how on earth I had got there. The blast in the wall soon reminded me.

Voldemort.

Damn it….Harry. Was he okay?

"She told Peter that they were going to die. She said it was the only way- he believed her" That was Remus!

I ducked back down into the bushes as silently as I could.

"My Son nearly died, Remus! What was he thinking?!" That was James, I realised. And they were talking about me. They thought that I had sold them out. OF course they did. That's how I made it look.

"Yes. But he's fine. It's not Peter's fault. It was us. We should have known…we should have-"

"Alas, Lily. Let us not talk of such things. Lord Voldemort is gone now. Harry is well. I am more concerned for Mr Black. He was devastated by last night's news I am sure-"

I instinctively looked down at my ring when I heard Sirius's name. Only…it wasn't there. The one Sirius had given me was…but the gold one that the spell had put on us all those years ago was no-where to be seen. So I panicked.

Without thinking, I ran as silently and as unnoticeably as I could to the other end of the street. When I got there I apparated to the only place I would safe; home.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Sirius and Peter were sat in the kitchen when I got home. Peter was sat at the counter, sniffling. Sirius was stood by the sink, his eyes closed and looking terrifying.

"What are you doing here?" Peter roared when he noticed me. In any other circumstances, I would have tried to calm him down. I knew that they were angry. I knew that they would not listen to reason. And I knew that Sirius was about to reject me. For that reason, my eyes could look nowhere but at him. "Didn't you hear me, you traitor? Why are you here? To make me do more stupid things?"

"Oh, Peter." I said, beyond tears.

Sirius was still standing with his eyes closed and arms folded. He was like a statue.

"When they catch you…I hope you _rot_ in Azkaban! I believed you! I thought we were helping Lily and James! I thought we were protecting Harry! All this time…all this time you were…"

"The curse is broken. My ring's gone. You need to get out." Sirius said, when words failed Peter. "You need to get out of my house and never come back."

"I know." I replied, my heart shattering into a thousand pieces. "I know. I'll leave. I just wanted to see you one last time." I turned to leave.

"Adelaide…"

"Yes?" I whipped around as he called my name, hope growing in me.

"I want an unbreakable vow. That you will never come back and that you will never try to hurt me or my friends ever again." Neither Peter nor Sirius maintained eye-contact with me.

"Okay." I consented.

Sirius acted as the witness as I made an unbreakable vow to Peter. Sirius had said he didn't want to touch something as dirty as me. He called me a whore.

"I Adelaide Petrova vow never to return here without permission from Peter Pettigrew of Sirius Black. I will never knowingly harm a person. I will leave this country. I will not try to contact anyone here." And then I left.


	20. Moscow

I am the worst ever updater type person. I'm sorry. My only excuse is a particularly bad case of writer's block. Anyway, I hope this is to your liking…if not I'm terribly sorry.

As always, thanks to my wonderful reviewers- you guys never fail to make me smile:

angelloverkk: Eeep! Sorry about that…and yes they think that she is a traitor. Thanks for the review and enjoy this chapter!

ColdCypher: Hello! Thank you for the review! I hope this is to your liking, and I'm sorry I couldn't update sooner!

Mandie: Thank you! You have no idea how much these comments mean to me! I'm sorry the update took so long, and I hope you'll forgive me? Let me know what you think.

WhoMustntBeName: n'aww…thanks. You're so lovely. Again, so sorry about the stupidly long wait, but I hope you like this chapter!

Roses Roses And More Roses: Rose, I love hearing from you, as you already know. You're reviews always make me smile and I really hope you like this chapter, despite the lack of Sirius He will be making a come-back I promise you!

So here it is:

CHAPTER 20:

Russia. Now there's a place I'd never thought I'd ever be again. But here I was wondering around for almost two months scavenging for my next meal, not a penny to my name and feeling like a pile of shit.

Perhaps rather stupidly, I went to Moscow. Every street corner, every narrow paved road reminded me of a nightmare I had once had to live. It was in a dazed and delirious state that I found myself stood at the door of a small café in the middle of the night. I had no money but I was starving, depressed and desperate.

I deliberated for a while, in my head weighing up the pros and cons about what I was planning to do; steal. The overriding feeling at this point was hunger. I was famished and weak. I needed sustenance. On the other hand, I had made an unforgivable vow to not knowingly harm another person. Stealing, perhaps, constituted as harming someone. If I took the risk…I'd die.

_Bloody spiffing._

For the first time in a long time, I found myself hating Sirius Black. I mean, what an ignoramus. Did he even ask what had happened? Did he even doubt for one tiny miniscule second that I was guilty? Of course not, the giant idiot jumped the gun and as per usual, I am dealing with the consequences. Oh! Forget him! Forget the lot of them! What am I? Why was I stupid enough to believe- to hope- that Black would believe in me. Why didn't I explain? Why am I here, in Russia of all places, feeling nauseous, tired from exhaustion and destitute when he's probably sitting at home stuffing his stupid face! With glorious food! Possibly even a chocolate cake. Oh my God. Cake. I can just imagine the dulcet sugary goodness dripping from a soft, fluffy sponge. Like a little piece of heaven in my mouth. Or a bar of Belgian chocolate…or smarties. I love smarties…they are a truly marvellous invention.

_Snap out of it!_ Fantasising about food is not going to help. I need to actually find some! And not steal it…And a job too.

_Oof!_

"Oh goodness! I am sorry, dear. Are you alright? " A plump woman asked in fluent Russian, surveying me with a concerned expression after throwing the café door open which resulted in my stumbling backwards.

"I…." I meant to tell her I was fine, but within moments my vision became blurred and my knees became weak.

"Oh, heavens! Mikhail! Call an ambulance!" the matronly woman yelled, the feel of her arms holding me upright the last think I remembered before whizzing into a the arms of my dead brother.

o()()()()()()()()o

I stood in a clearing wearing a blue sun-dress and no shoes. The soft grass tickled the undersides of my feet, both relaxing and irritating simultaneously.

Nikolai lay in the centre of the clearing, his arms folded under his head, humming a tune he used to sing to me when I was younger.

Stomping, I approached him, sending a well aimed kick in his side.

"Alina!" he growled clutching at his sides. When he was alive I had never been violent towards him. I suppose my erratic behaviour shocked him. "What-"

"Just believe in _love_, little one. Believe in _him_. That's. What. You. Said!" I snarled, jabbing him with my index finger, a rage that I had not realised existed, now revealing itself in angry torrents of slurs and obscenities aimed at my no longer alive brother. "Where has it got me, Nikka? Tell me. Where?"

He waited until stopped trying to incapacitate him before speaking.

"You saved ze man you love. And your friends too" Her replied simply.

"They're not my friends. I don't love him." I whispered, fearful all of a sudden. "Nikka. I feel a lot of things right now. Love is not one of them."

Nikolai, sensing the anger flow away from me as easily as it had come, swept me into his arms-ever comforting- and allowed me to cry.

For whom or what I cried, I did not know. I only knew what my body was telling me; the pain and the exhaustion. I felt sick.

"Feel better?" He asked, wiping away some tears with his fingers.

I shook my head. "I feel awful. I feel sick. I'm so tired I could just die right here and I haven't eaten in days. I think I seriously considered selling a kidney at one point because I wanted to eat ice-cream so much…" I looked up. Nikka was grinning…..Oh no. No. No. No. It couldn't be. No.

()()()()()()()

"She doesn't look very good." A somewhat familiar voice said.

"No. She must be homeless or lost. From the looks of it, the lack of nutrition has depleted her of her energy. You say you don't know her?" A deep male voice replied.

"No, I'm afraid. She was stood outside my café- I nearly knocked the poor child over. I asked her if she was alright; the poor thing toppled over before she could get two words out!"

"I see. Alright then. We'll have to wait until she wakes up to know more. She's alright for the meanwhile. Will you be staying with her?"

"Of cour- oh look, Doctor. She's awake." The woman immediately took hold of my hand, offering me a warm smile. "You're at the hospital, Zaichik." Bleary eyes opening, I recognised the woman from the café. I tried to smile back, but found that I was too weak.

"Hello, young lady, my name is Dr Klimov. Can you tell me your name?" An elderly man, in his late fifties at least, peered at me over his spectacles. Concern was written in his countenance as he examined my own.

"A-Adelaide." I managed, my voice feeling hoarse.

"Here." The woman said, pressing a glass of water to my lips. I drank greedily, savouring the feel of the cool liquid washing my throat and filling my empty- or perhaps not as empty as I has initially thought- tummy.

"Okay, Adelaide. You've had a bit of a fall, dear. We think it's because of malnutrition. The test results will be here shortly and then we can know for sure. Do you have any friends or family that we can call in the meantime?" He asked glancing at my left hand. I followed his look, to see the ring that Si-Black had given me almost five years ago. It shimmered in hospital white light, as though all the sparkle in his grey, grey eyes was trapped in the cold rock. I stared at it for some time, a feeling so violent arising in me that I hardly knew what to do. I wanted to cry. If I was…if I was with him…I think I would've. Somehow; despite everything I had seen and felt in a world, so far from me now that I sometimes wondered if I'd imagined it, had faded under that man's consuming touch. I had become lost in his eyes, enraptured with his lips; always so soft and teasing. His laugh, melodious and so deep that it felt like I was standing on the edge of cliff ready to jump, was like water. And oh how it coursed me. He ran through my being; inundating me with his soul and his passion and his warm, sweet, sweet embrace. Until I felt safe. And whole.

I shook my head._._

'_You need to get out of my house and never come back'. No. I have no-one_

"Very well." Dr Klimov replied kindly. "We'll wait until Nurse returns with the results. And then we'll see what we can sort out." He smiled.

"Dr, I think I'm pregnant." I whispered so quietly that I had to repeat myself to be heard.

"Pardon?"

"I'm pregnant. I think." I replied meekly.

"Oh. Well. Alright then. I'm just going to inform the Nurse we ran a full check so the test will probably show it- and I'll have someone bring you some food. Rest easy for now." With that he flurried out of the room, calling out to the Nurse.

I turned to the lady and nodded awkwardly.

She took this as permission to launch into a quarry of fussing.

"No wonder you fainted! With child and wondering around for goodness knows how long in this weather! Are you comfortable, Zaichik? How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Thank you. For bringing me here, I mean. I'm…grateful. I've wasted so much of your time. Sorry, I don't even know your name."

"Feodora Esmond. And not to worry, my dear. As long as you're well. And of course, your dear baby." I could only smile hollowly in response.

How would I take care of a baby? I had no money…no home, no job. Nothing.

The Doctor chose this moment of inward panic to return. He smiled broadly.

I knew what he was going to say before he even opened his mouth.

"Congratulations! You were right. You're pregnant. I'm preparing for the scan." Feodora clapped her hands with joy.

"The tests show the all-clear. You're fine. I'm going to keep you in for a few hours though. I want you to eat a full meal and take some vitamins. Expecting women need to take care of their bodies all the more." I managed a dazed nod.

Baby. Why? _Why could I not have just died?_

"Oh, Zaichik. Why don't you tell me what's happened. Have you fallen out with your Husband? I'm sure he's sorry and looking for you." Feodora said after a while, clearly feeling anxious about me and my…baby. I let my eyes wonder around the room before I answered. I took in the clinical white that had once been homely to me. It now seemed distasteful and terrifying. _ A baby._

"I can't go home. If I do…my life will be in danger if I return…because of my Husband. That's why I came to Moscow. To get away. I said slowly, trying to get the words out without my voice breaking. "I'll die if I go back."

For a moment Fedora sported a serious, penetrating look, as though she was trying to ascertain the truth in my words with her eyes alone. After a brief pause she smiled again.

"Okay then, Zaichik. You can come and live with Mikhail and me. We have the room…and I am the reason you're here"

"Oh no…it's not your fault. I'm the one to blame. I should have checked or something…I should have a job by now. It's my own- I can't just come and live with you like that." I rambled. I'd get a job. There had to be a job going somewhere for me.

After the nurse had brought me in a meal of runny mash and some sort of meat like concoction spooned with a dark gravy, and Fedora forced me to eat it, Doctor Klimov returned with a wheelchair. He and the nurse- a thin woman with grey hair pulled into a tight bun and with pursed lips to rival Professor McGonagalls, helped me into it and pushed me to the scanning room. Feodora followed chattering about how much she loved babies and how wonderful they were. I, on the other hand, was more concerned with more pressing matters- such as was this child alright? Was it alive? Had my inability to support myself for the last two months hurt my child as well as me? Had I failed as a Mother before I had even started?

I only half listed as the Doctor explained all the various medical terms, what the machines did and what was going on. I had two medical degrees. I was pretty sure I knew what was happening. Besides, I had more important things to do….like panic. About a job, a place to live- how was I going to provide for this child? Having to love a child who would undoubtedly remind of the man I wanted to forget more than anyone or anything in this or any world.

The feeling of having the cool gel being smeared across my naked belly sent chills down my spine. I could imagine that in just a few seconds there would be the tiny beating of a heart that would fill me with more dread. This child…I would take care of it. I would protect it with everything I had…but that's never enough. The only way to save a person from the caprice of the world, from that bitch fortune, is death. And I have seen enough of that to last a lifetime. I had felt the warm liquid silk of blood soak my hands, permeating my skin and bones, meshing with my own blood, pumping into my heart and traversing the veins of my being. It lives within me like a war cry; hot and bold, propelling me on with anger and grief and it _still_ makes my voice a little hoarser and makes my blood a little cooler. My eyes are still stained red; and perhaps that is what Sirius Black saw in me to make me so abhorrent. Perhaps it was the scent of lingering blood that follows me that makes me so disgusting. And my child would see this in me. Of course they would. They would hate me. And they would suffer with me.


	21. I need some Rubels

Hello beautiful people…that's right you're all beautiful! I have been swamped with exams- hence the late update. As usual….I'm sorry, but I'm hoping that the wait was worth it nonetheless. Let's start with the comments …well comment. (Yes that stung a little, but I may have deserved it as I have taken so long to update!)

Roses Roses And More Roses: Thank you! I love your reviews and as always, they make me smile. I promise…next chapter Sirius will be making an appearance in the next chapter! Please leave a review- I hope you like this chapter!

So….now read on my friends…. And let me know what you think by leaving a review- you know, the more reviews I get, the more motivated I am and the quicker I generally update faster….just sayin

Anyway, enjoy…so let me know what you thought!

CHAPTER 21:

I have seen baby sonograms countless times. I had watched the faces of mother's light up as they saw the little heartbeat of their child. And I had watched as they cried and laughed and simply lost themselves in the bliss of the moment. I was sure that I was different. I was calm and calculated. I knew my circumstances and how little I could do for a child. I knew all these things. But as my eyes fell on that tiny circle on the screen and the soft _thump thump _ of a heartbeat reverberated through me, I forgot everything. All I could recall was that there was a child inside of me. A child who, unbeknown to myself, I was already head over heels in love with. I could feel the life-force within me. With every passing second, I grew less and less myself, and more a bottomless pit of…_baby_. Sirius Black didn't matter right then. It was just me and my baby.

…

"Doctor?"

"Yes, m'dear?"

"Why are there three heartbeats?"

There was a moment of long, silence as the Doctor scrutinised the ultrasound monitor.

"Hmm." He said.

"What?" I demanded, already knowing what was coming.

"Hmm." He repeated. "It looks like you're going to have triplets. Congratulations." Feodora burst into applause. I cried.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Feodora stayed with me the entire night. The next day she insisted that I come back home with her. I had attempted half-heartedly to insist I go my own way; but after finding out that I had three, albeit healthy- babies inside of me, I couldn't find it in me to remain stubborn.

She sat me down on a squashy sofa, insisting that I make myself comfortable whilst she went and prepared some breakfast. Some time whilst I was sitting there, staring lifelessly into the horrible gold wallpaper, Feodora's Husband returned home. They were in the kitchen muttering quietly to themselves rapidly. Feodora was letting him in on my story-or what little of it she had- no doubt. A short while later they both entered the room, Feodora armed with a tray laden with delicious breakfast goods. Her Husband was a tall bulky man. His presence was eminent, and his features were strong as masculine with a mop of silver streaked dark hair. Feodora set the tray down on the table and encouraged me to eat. I smiled awkwardly and sat there like a melon.

"Eat up. You have three little'uns who need the food." Feodora's Husband said, his voice deep, harsh and altogether brutal.

With not an ounce of elegance, I picked up a slice of brioche and devoured it.

"This is my Husband, Mikhail." Feodora told me, buttering a slice of toast and handing it to her Husband.

"It's very nice to meet you, sir."

"Sir? Just plain Mikhail, I'm not fancy like, so just call me Mikhail." I nodded and smiled, feeling utterly out of my element. "Feodora tells me you need a place to stay."

I swallowed the mouthful of food in my mouth quickly.

"Yes. I'll look for a place right away-"

"You can stay here." He cut in.

"Ah…really…I couldn't. I can't accept free-"

"In exchange for board, you can work downstairs. We wouldn't be able to afford to keep you on for free." He replied, much to my shock.

"Mikah! How can you suggest such a thing? Making a woman work when she's in a family way!" Feodora exclaimed, aghast.

"We can't afford to keep her on without making her work her way…we need a new waitress now that Katrina is gone. The wages we can offer will be enough for rent and to cover personal expenses- as long as you budget of course." Feodora gaped at her Husband, outraged. I on the other hand, beamed.

"Thank you. I'm a quick learner. I promise you, I'll work hard, and you won't regret this."

There was a short pause. Mikhail used this opportunity to look at me. I mean really look at me. He seemed to be searching or something in me. When he apparently found it, he stood up, his posture lacking airs.

"You rest today. You start tomorrow. Feodora will show you what to do." With that he was gone and it was only me and Feodora.

"The insufferable man! Don't worry, Zaichik, you don't have to work-"

"Feodora…Thank you for all your help. For staying with me in the hospital and for bringing me to your home." She smiled and assured me that it was nothing. "Even so, I won't stay unless you let me work. And besides; I like working."

She sighed.

"Alright, Zaichik. But you'll have to stop working eventually."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0o0o0o

Over the next few days, Feodora taught me absolutely nothing about working in a café. She made me rest for three days, she then insisted that I go shopping with her for some groceries. I consented, not fully understanding that when Feodora Esmond said shopping, she _meant shopping. _ We traversed half of Moscow- which is not a small place by any measure, might I add- and returned home, swimming in bags at nearly nightfall. Mikhail met us at the door of the café with, what I now know to be his usual gruff expression. However, the slight pull of the left side of his lip told me that he was amused. Feodora pecked him on the cheek and waltzed through to the now closed café, humming to herself.

"I see Feodora has taken you out shopping." He snorted, taking the multitude of bags from me and setting them down.

"Yes. I now know why she insisted that I sleep for three days- she was preparing me for the shopping trip from hell. I swear that we just walked the whole of Moscow!" I whined, plopping myself onto a seat and relieving my feet of my shoes.

"I've been married long enough to Feodora to know you're not exaggerating."

"If only to avoid another shopping trip, I think I should start working tomorrow." I said, massaging my feet.

"Agreed." Mikhail snorted.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Mikhail! Two number fours and an eight…no cheese." I yelled before turning back to the customer with my _I'm-only-smiling-because-I'm-working_ smile. If you'd like to take a seat, your food will be ready in just a moment.

"Thank you, darlin' be sure to get yourself something nice." The pervy old man grinned with a set of mouldy teeth, sliding me 1000 rubles before slinking back to his table. _Eurghh._ Still at least I had gotten the equivalent of twenty quid out of it. The fact that the high counter meant that he wouldn't be able to see my bulging baby belly. I for one could not wait to see the look on his face when he realised that I was in fact just over seven months pregnant. Of course the downside was that I would have to go and serve him and his equally leery friends when his food was ready.

Mikhail, with his ninja like skills in the kitchen, was done in a matter of minutes. He slid the plates through the counter doors, narrowing his eyes in the direction of the three lascivious men who were currently waving at me and blowing me kisses.

"Those men giving you any trouble?" Mikhail asked in his rough but caring way.

"Of course not, Mikhail. The best thing about being pregnant- apart from the prospect of three beautiful babies- is that your stomach becomes like this men repelling machine. One glimpse at this-" I rubbed my belly lovingly "And those guys will be finished eating and out of here without so much as a peep. Now watch whilst I destroy all of their lurid fantasies with my beach whale tummy!" I loaded the plates onto the tray quickly and headed over towards the men who now sat openly gaping in my direction. I set it down and winked at the man who had ordered. He swallowed hard and then proceeded into a staring competition with the salt shaker. Satisfied , I returned to the counter where Mikhail greeted me with a derisive snort.

"Women." He muttered before heading back into the kitchen.

That night, I made a very important decision.

Despite the fact that Mikhail and Feodora were paying me enough to cover the rent and food and some extra that I had been stashing away for when the tiplets were born, I would need more money. A substantial amount. Of course Feodora kept reassuring me that money wasn't an issue. She had wanted me to stop working almost two months ago. Even Mikahil, ever practical as he was, took me aside one day and told me that he really wouldn't mind if I decided to stop working. I was as big as a house and looked just about ready to pop. But the thing was…money _was_ an issue. I was an economic drain on the household. I had no doubt that I could find another- better paying job- _after_ I had the triplets….but I needed something to hold me out until I could go back to work. There was only one thing that I had that was of any material wealth; the ring Sirius had given me.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

I was quite possibly the most ridiculous sight to behold. Fat with pregnancy, feet swollen, wearing a bright red loose jacket, a purple spotted scarf and yellow gloves. It was summer too! _Who needs coordination, anyway? _I wasn't sure exactly how to go about this; I mean, pawn brokers weren't my usual haunts; especially not when I'm pregnant. I mean…who was going to take me seriously? I was _fucking_ pregnant for the love of…

_Just stop. You are a spy for petes sake! You took Russia by storm and owned it! A pawnbroker is nothing. March your arse in there and own it. For your kids. _

Two men stood by the dusty counter examining a thick gold chain. I slid the door slightly open- only just enough for me to be able to hear inside.

"C'mon man. That's gotta be worth at least 9000 rubles-" the one standing on the customer side of the counter said. The other one- presumably the owner- looked up, a strange one eyed piece of equipment tied to his head, looked up and raised a sceptic eyebrow. "Alright- alright…8000." The guy behind the counter snorted and shook his head.

"This isn't worth more than 4000 rubles." The man spotted me, causing me to jump. "Hey- come in, come in. I'm done with this muppet anyway. Its 4000 rubles Marco or nothing." I took a deep breath and a pushed through the grimy door of the pawn shop, the little bell chimed and the tiny bead of sweat forming between my brows sluipped down my face. Marco clicked his tongue angrily and stuffed the chain back into his pocket, the grease on his dirty blonde hair almost dripping onto his shoulders. I swallowed uncomfortably as he brushed past me and exited the store. My hand went straight to my bump which was tactfully concealed behind half a dozen layers.

"What can I do for you, lady?" The man asked, removing his head gear. His heavy frame seemed to loom over the counter, filling the small room with his overbearing presence. His hair was immaculate. In fact he, in general was immaculate. His handsome features seemed all at once out of place and _right_ in such a gloomy place. The glass counters were lined with the lost treasures of a hundred desperate couples, the childhood dreams of a millions unknowns and the copper remnants of the last high of lost narcotics. I gulped softly and edged forwards.

"I-I need to sell something." The man frowned, giving me a once over.  
>"Well you've come to the right place. Let me see."<p>

Hesitantly, I removed a small paper bag from my breast pocket. I placed it carefully onto the counter and removed the ring my heart pounding in my chest so fast I could have passed out.

"Wow. That is a…heck. I don't even know what that is. Where'd you get this thing? It's huge!" the man exclaimed.

"It was a gift. How much is it worth?" I asked, the bead of sweat that had been forming on my brow now trickling in a downwards slope to the tip of my nose. The guy picked up his gear again and put it on. For a full ten minutes he examined the piece of jewellery with intense scrutiny. All the while my heart fluttered helplessly in my chest; the ghost of every memory I had of what that ring represented- of joy and love and the feeling of being completely and utterly free- seemed to freeze in the eye of my mind.

23 000 rubles. That was the value of the ring. Almost £50 000. That's how much he'd loved me. It wasn't the money- he always wanted to give me the best, most perfect things. And when he gave me things, they meant so much to him…and to me. If I sold this…I would be betraying him. But if I didn't, I'd be compromising the wellbeing of my children.

"I'll take it."

"I don't have that kind of money. But-"

"PUT YOURS HANDS UP IN THE AIR! OR I'LL SHOOT YOU!" I turned around to see Marco and a group of ten men armed with guns and bats entered.

"Both of you stand there!" Marco demanded pointing his gun at me threateningly. Being pregnant and gun wielding lunatics, in my humble opinion, are not a good combination. I decided, for the safety of my children, that I would comply. He motioned to other s and immediately they began smashing things up.

"You should have just given me the money in the first place, Zukov. I run with Mad Wolf. You shouldn't have pissed me off." _ What the hell was going on? _

"Mad Wolf? Marco…you're gonna get yourself killed." Zukov- the owner- muttered, earning himself a kick from Marco.

"Shut-up!"

_Oh crap. This is bad. This is bad._ I groaned as one of the babies kicked me. A feeling of dread overtook me as the men began smashing the glass of the counters, filling up grey bags with all of the stuff; watches, bracelets, rings- anything and everything.

"Well. This is just wonderful." The Zuukov said, grimacing as Marco smashed a clay vase. "That was my mother's."

"Oh no." I whimpered, pathetically.

"It's not that bad. Just sit tight and you'll be home in no time." The shop owner told me, both bemused and annoyed.

"Oh no." I repeated. These guys didn't quiet understand what the issue was here.

"Shut up. The next person to talk is the first to get sh- are you peeing yourself?"

"Oh crap. My water just broke." I whimpered.

Marco paled significantly. "Shit. Move out" he yelled, eyeing me as though I were a bomb about to set off. "Move out!" he growled. Within minutes Marco and his little posse had moved out. Within minutes my contractions started.

"I'm going to die. Oh shit. Call an ambulance!" I growled, leaning back on the wall.

"You're really pregnant?" Zukov ask ed. "like as in, with a baby, pregnant?"

"WHAT OTHER KIND OF PREGNANT IS THERE? CALL A GODDAMN AMBULANCE! " I roared doubled over in agony.

"THEY CUT THE PHONE LINE!"

POPOPOPOPOPOPO

Soooooo…what did you all think? Like or dislike? What do you think will happen next: Am I gonna be nice and let this be a happy ending, or am I going to be brutal? Tell me tell me tell me! Oh….and as I haven't done so already: Disclaimer…everything you recognise belongs to queen Rowling and only the plot and OC's are mine ^^


	22. Blue-eyed love struck girls

Hello! How is everyone?

This is a LONG chapter! I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Please R&R and let me know what you thought!

Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter- you have no idea how happy and touched I was to read some of the comments I received.

So…just a shout out to the awesome reviews of the last chapter: I've included their review and a reply!

**Jules31**

I like the grittier, darker style of this story, it's not all flowers and rainbows like lots of these genre fics are like, I especially liked how she didn't become friends with the Marauders and Lily straight away, it made it feel more 't wait to read more! X

Jules31..Thanks! I'm so glad you like the style…I was actually worried that I was going overkill with the darkness! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thanks for the review and for reading!

**RavenSeeker**

I fell in love with your story and I couldn't stop reading. I've been reading non-stop and have finished all 21 chapters in one go. Needless to say, my heart is broken into a thousand pieces and please, please, please update as soon as possible. The story was genius and really touched my heart.

RavenSeeker, although this might be schadenfreude, I am totally thrilled to hear that! I hope this chapter, at least in part will make you feel a little bit better…siriusly, this review has got me beaming from cheek to cheek! I hope you keep on reading, and do forgive me if updating takes a while, as I am in my final year of education before heading off to Uni…needless to say, I am utterly bogged down with revision and exams! I'm so glad that you've read this story- I hope you like this next chapter!

**ptl4ever419**

I think I love it! Just kinda confused about why Sirius and everyone else was mad at her and why she didn't die. But I do hope you update :)

Ptl4ever419,Okay, without giving too much of the story away, she decided to try and save everyone, and to do so, she tricked Peter and Snape into helping her get info from Voldy, and used it to track down the horcruxes. She destroyed them and where Lily and james should have been killed by him…she took their place. They're mad because they think that she betrayed them all and tried to help Voldy and kill Harry. I'm afraid I can't tell you anymore as it would ruin the plot! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this next chap!

**Roses Roses And More Roses**

You know what I think will happen next? GIGANTIC MISCARRIAGE. I don't think she's ready for THREE friggin' kids. Three?

But if there's anyone in the fictional world than can pull it off it's our own Alina. I have faith in ya.

:D  
>ROSES! When I first read this review, I did a funny double-take, choking on air type thing. That's all I'm gonna say for now! Oh…and thanks for the review- as always, you always brighten up my day Let me know what you think and don't be too disappointed in me!<br>R

**IloveCats16**

Write more

ILOveCats161 Indeed I shall…and have…this chapter is massive! Please enjoy, and do let me know what you thought!

Soooo…..

Without further ado….

CHAPTER 22:

"I'm going to die. _Oh shit_. Call an ambulance!" I growled, leaning back on the wall.

"Oh shit. You're really pregnant?" Zukov ask ed. "like as in, with a _baby_, pregnant?"

"WHAT OTHER KIND OF PREGNANT IS THERE? CALL A GODDAMN AMBULANCE, YOU TWIT! " I roared doubled over in agony. HE looked back at me with a terrified expression before scurrying of out to the back. He returned holding a white phone that had a curly tail of phone line. It was not attached to anything else.

"They cut the phone line."

"No. Shit. Jeeves." I ground out in response.

_Oh Shit. This could not be happening to me. _

I looked up, my face distorted from the pain of labour contractions, to meet the panicked eyes of Zukov. He clearly didn't have a clue what to do. So I did the only thing that I could do: take charge.

"Okay. Is there…aghhhh….somewhere I can….lie down?" I asked, realising that I would be giving birth very soon. I just knew it.

Zukov did a double take. "Lie down? We need to get you to a hospital….wait here and I'll go and get a tax-"

"Zukov…trust me on this one…THEY ARE COMING NOW!" I growled, grabbing the front of his shirt in an angry fist.

"They? As in more than one? Shit…and I thought you were just fat!" he replied, clearly underestimating my ability to kick his arse. Failing that, I could probably just sitting on him. I _was _fat, afterall.

"Listen….I would kill you for that comment alone, but I am about to give birth to triplets-" the poor guy paled at this "and there is no time for an ambulance. You need to deliver these babies. I'll tell you what to do."

For a moment he looked like he was going to complain or at least run out of the shop terrified. I glared at him. He gulped and nodded. Hell hath no fury like a woman in labour.

"Let's get you out back. It's less…glassy there. It won't be comfortable though; this place isn't really equipped for child bearing." He snorted at his own joke. Needless to say, I was not amused.

He led me to the back, kicking bits of glass out of my way as he went. The 'back' really was more like a cupboard than anything. Still it was glass free- if very dusty.

Zukov managed to find a couple of bin bags full of old clothes which he tossed to together for me to lie back on. He couldn't find any towels so we had to use my scarf.

"Right. Are you sure you know what you're doing?" he asked nervously as I removed my shoes and red faced, began to disrobe my lower half.

"Pretty much." I replied.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A lot of pushing, cursing, screaming and pulling of hair later, I lay on the floor of a broken pawn shop, sweating, bloody and half naked with a stranger, staring at three beautiful babies.

"I can tell you now…I am _not_ doing that again!" Zukov muttered to himself. He too was sweaty.

"Thanks for the help Zukov." I said, stoking the forehead of my little girl, her slightest of movements bringing me delight. "Thanks."

Zukov snorted. "I've seen a lot today. I think we're beyond last names. My name's Kristoff. "

"Adelaide. Thank you Kristoff. I think we need to get to a hospital now though. To make sure the triplets are okay. And I need to call my fam- my family." I smiled. _Family. _ That's what Mikhail and Feodora were. Family.

I sat with the babies- my babies- whilst Kristoff rushed off to call an ambulance and Feodora. I just stared at my children…in awe that I gave birth to them. It was as though all the pain and the suffering had evaporated from my being as these precious gems entered the world. Nothing else mattered. And I knew, right then, that as long as I had my children- as long as I put everything into loving them and caring for them- I was fine. Sirius, Vladoslav, Lord Voldermort; they were just distant nightmare, utterly eclipsed by the joy that filled me as I took in and memorised those three little face. A girl and two boys.

I smiled.

For the first time in seven months, I was truly happy and nothing could take that away from me. Noth-

_Oh Shit._ Something dawned on me, bringing with it a sickening sense of empty despair. The ring. Marco. Fucking, Marco! They'd taken everything!

What was I going to do?

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Despite telling Kristoff that he could leave countless times, he insisted on sitting next to me the entire time Dr Klimov ran some tests on both myself and my little angels.

"Well…this is singular…you and the children are perfectly fine. It was an absolutely perfect delivery…no complications whatsoever. Are you sure you've never delivered a baby before young man? To think…triplets born without an operation and everyone is just fine…"

"Nope. She told me what to do and I did it." Kristoff replied. Dr Klimov peered at me over his thick glasses.

"You told him what to do? This is astonishing…how on earth did you know how to-"

"My Brother was a Doctor…before he died that is. He's done this before- I was there. I suppose the gravity of the situation made me remember what he did…and the adrenaline and that." I offered lamely. Dr Klimov clearly was not convinced. He sighed and picked up my file and frowned.

"Well…that's very lucky. Let me go and fill out the rest of this. Just relax for now, my dear." He left the room quietly, allowing Kristoff more time to interrogate me.

"Sooo…that Mikhail guy who picked up the phone, is he the Father?" I scoffed at this, more that slightly peeved at his impudence.

"No. He happens to be a very nice man who has been very kind to me." I said sighing. " Not that it's any of your business." I added, displaying my displeasure. Kristoff didn't seem to care though.

"I see. So where is the dad? Does he know you were trying to pawn of-"

"Excuse me! Whilst I am infinitely grateful that you were there to help me give birth and were good enough to bring me to the hospital _and_ stay here with me; I don't think we have quite reached the stage in this relationship where you are able to ask me personal questions, which frankly, I don't wish to answer. " I huffed.

"Hey...calm down. I'm sorry. I was just making conversation- sometimes I can be a little frank, you know." Whilst his expression remained…well expressionless, his eyes told me he was telling the truth. Perhaps I had over-reacted.

"Sorry. It's a touchy subject. And now I don't have the ring…and I have triplets to feed and clothe and I just don't know what I'm going to do. I'm sorry. You don't need to hear this. Mikhail and Feodora will be here soon. The babies are fine so you can go. Really. You just lost your shop so, I'm sure you'd rather be somewhere else." I said, feeling like crying yet lacking the capacity to do so. I was exhausted…and wishing that I had my husband with me. Except I didn't have one anymore.

"I don't really have anything better to do. Well actually I do. I could be killing Marco right now, but that would get me in jail. As much as I hate Marco, I don't really like the idea of going to jail." He rambled, making me smile slightly. "Besides…My dad wanted me to-"

Feodora chose that moment to fly through the hospital room door and squeal with both worry and excitement.

"Adelaide! Zaichik. Where are the little- blessed children! How beautiful. Let me hold them. Such beautiful eyes. Look. Little angels. Look Mikhail!" she cooed and fussed taking each of my beautiful children in turn, examining them with her loving orbs and placing gentle kisses on each of their foreheads.

"Who's this?" Mikhail inquired, surveying the somewhat shady looking Kristoff.

"My name is Kristoff Zukov, sir." Kristoff said, immediately getting to his feet and offering his hand to Mikhail. "This young lady was in my shop when she went into labour, sir." Mikhail didn't seem the least bit reassured.

"Kristoff delivered the triplets. I wouldn't be here if he wasn't there." I said, calming Mikhail. Feodora on the other hand became thoroughly distressed at this.

"You mean to say that you didn't give birth in the hospital? What? The children! Are they alright-Is"

Since moving in with Feodora and Mikhail, I had learnt that once Feodora starting ranting, it was best just to let her get on with it. Whilst Kristoff tried to calm her down, Mikhail took a seat next to me and listened patiently as I explained what had happened, and of course, why I was in a pawn shop in the first place.

"I know- I shouldn't have gone on my own; I was just worried. I just wish that I could make money and provide for my children without having to depend on you guys all the time. I'm an economic drain on the household, and I know you're too kind to say anything,…" I muttered in explanation, wringing my hands nervously as he listened in his own unique way.

He sighed and gave me one of his rare smiles- the beautiful kind that just shines and makes you're day just a little better- and took one of my hands in his.

"Feodora and I cannot have children, Alina. I never thought I'd know what it's like to be a parent, but you, from the moment you stepped into our home, have been like a daughter to me. Don't say anything-" he said as I was about to tearfully interrupt "And the joy that you've brought into our home is worth more than mere money. You're family; whether you like it or not- and so are your little 'uns. So suck it up and let us help you."

I smiled, tears streaming down my face and latched onto Mikhail; hugging the poor man into oblivion.

"I love you guys." I said, picking up one of my newborns who was now wailing and cooed lovingly at him.

Dr Klimov, though astonished at the fact we were all doing so well (I suspect magic might have had something to do with that), saw no reason to detain us and declared the triplets and myself fit for release. Feodora insisted that Kristoff joined us for dinner and fussed about as she usually did. And I sat in the car, just staring at my children. They were truly the most beautiful babies I had ever seen; they looked a lot like their Father.

MEANWHILE IN ENGLAND….

Peter, I think, has always been the odd one out. He's not as good looking as us- myself Moony and Prongs, I mean- and he isn't all that smart either. He is however, one persistent little bugger. In the last eight months, he has not left me alone. Which is more than I can say about my so called best friend. And more significantly, he won't stop taking about _her_.

Fine, I'm an idiot. I had deluded myself into thinking that I loved the little…._witch_…but now…well I know better now don't I? She's a back-stabbing little evil mushroom of doom from hell and I hope she's rotting somewhere all-

"Sirius are you listening to me?" Wormtail demanded. He was a lot more confident these days- didn't do as he was told anymore. I know exactly who is to blame for this sudden change in his character.

"Yes, Peter, I am listening. I, however, don't care. I don't want to hear about…_her._" I replied. I swear, we'd had this conversation about a million times already. It was getting more and more irritating every time we had it. I sat up in my leather swivel chair and looked at him; the poor guy…he looked as crap as I felt…I mean not like _she _was affecting me…I just had a lot of work to do you know.

Peter, as usual, was not having any of this.

"But, Sirius, don't you think it's weird?" He demanded. _Great. _ I could see a rant coming on. "Adelaide-" I winced as he said _her_ name- obviously because she disgusted me, right- not because I was…oh I don't know heartbroken or anything. I'm a man. MAN. With capital letters. We don't get heartbroken. Well I don't anyway. "-doesn't make mistakes. If she was working with You-Know-Who, then why couldn't she just do it herself? Why get me in on it? She could have convinced you all to do exactly what I did. Not to mention the fact that Harry is still alive. She wouldn't have screwed up killing someone so important; she just doesn't do that. And when she left- she looked…well she looked sad. There's more to this! And we sent here away! How could I have been so stupid….there's more to this than meets the eye. We're missing something….something that's there but I just can't reach-"

"SHUT UP!" I bellowed. Peter squeaked frightened.. "JUST SHUT UP! Adelaide is a traitorous little bitch who tried to kill Harry and has ruined my life. She's gone! If she was innocent, she would have said something. We all fell for it! Now I am trying to get on with my life, Peter! I am trying to just live! And you're ruining it. You keep bringing it up…and it's doing my head in! Can't you just stop? I hate Adelaide Petrova…and I'm glad she's gone. You should be too." I ended, panting with fury. Utterly pissed off, I jumped out of my seat and grabbed my cloak. "I have to be somewhere." I muttered as I slammed the door behind me.

Greta, my curvy blonde assistant peered over her desk at me a little shocked.

"I'm going out." I told her. "Cancel my appointments."

She nodded sycophantically and smiled, tilting her body so that her cleavage was on full show.

Note to self: Sleep with Greta when the opportunity arises.

Note to self: If an opportunity doesn't arise, then make one.

Initially I had intended on visiting James, but as I made my exit from Diagon Alley, something caught my eye. Across the road from me, there was a man holding at least a hundred metallic balloons in all different shapes and sizes. I stood there for a while, watching as kids dragged their parents along, pleading for balloons. After watching a little girl with pigtails and red glasses clap with joy as her mother purchased a flower shaped balloon, I crossed the road and walked over to the man.

He was old with wrinkles lings every crevasse of his face. There was something inherently happy about him though. It warmed me; making me realise for the first time in a while that I had in fact been cold.

"What can I get you, my friend?" the man asked smiling.

"A balloon. That one that's in the shape of a heart please." He complied quickly, inquiring who the lucky lady was. I lied and said it was for my girlfriend and gave me the money.

I sat with the balloon for hours on a park bench, asking myself why on earth I had brought it. Finally, as the moon came out and I began to yawn, I got up I was about to let go of it, when I had an idea. I say idea. It was more like an unexplainable urge. Taking out my wand, I cast a strengthening charm on the balloon. Taking bit of scrap parchment paper from my pocket, I wrote the words: _I love you_ and tied it to the balloon. I closed my eyes and let it go. I counted to 100 before I opened my eyes again. I looked around for it, snorting when I realised it had gotten caught on one of the giant oak trees.

"Forget it." I muttered. "This is stupid anyway. " I apparated home, anticipating nothing but desolate emptiness.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kristoff, over the next few days became a permanent fixture in our small home. He was besotted with the triplets. I hadn't really pegged him down as the kind to love children, but neither was I…and I loved them so much, I thought that sometimes I'd just die from the sheer power of it. Anyway, I discovered that Kristoff's family had various businesses. The pawn shop was just one of them. His Father was making him take charge of their inn, so he had limited time with the pawn shop anyway. In a way, he told me, he was glad it went down in a raid, as opposed to just shutting it down. He said it was more exciting.

Personally, I had had enough excitement for a life time and a half. All I wanted to do was watch my children grow up and then die peacefully. No hassle. No Drama. Just me, being a Mother. And I still had something very important to do; name my children. Feodora had been suggesting wild, colourful names at me since she found out I was pregnant. I wasn't going with any of them though. I don't think she'll be too upset.

"I was thinking," I began at the dinner table, three days after the triplets had been born "that I have the perfect names for my little bunnies." (As they had no names yet, my children were referred to as various cute animals at this point.) Feodora's ears perked up and she watched me with anticipation.

"Are you going with Anna. I do love the name Anna!" she said, cutting up some potatoes. I shook my head and she sighed with a frown and muttered something incomprehensible.

I laughed. "I have three very special names. First, my little girl; I want to name here after a very precious woman." I watched as Feodora chewed on some roast, no idea what I was about to say. "I want her to be called Feodora," That got her attention. She looked up, mouth gaping and flushed.

"Feodora? Really? Oh Alina!" she sniffed, getting up and hugging me with such force, I was afraid I would fall over.

"Umm hmm… Petra Feodora Petrova." Petra…after Peter. It was silly- it sounded silly, but Peter deserved at least this. He had done so much, and he didn't even know how many lies he had saved. I wanted my daughter to be a testament to his love and his….goodness.

"Okay…next. Nikolai Mikhail Petrov. Mikhail after- well you know, and Nikolai after my brother. And last but not least, my last born, I want to call Nathanial Kristoff Petrov. After the man who helped deliver my angels and another brother who cannot be with me here today." I smiled sadly as Feodora took my hand in hers and sniffed emotionally.

"Zaichik, I love you so much. I'm so glad it was my door you came to all those months ago."

"Me too Feodora. Me too."

Much later, Kristoff stood up yawning.

"I should go home now." He said, stretching.

"Ah yes. Look at the time Zaichik. Can you come again tomorrow?" Feodora asked. She loved guests, as you might have guessed already. Kristoff planted a soft kiss on each of the triplets heads and shook his head.

"My dad wants me to get started at the inn. And apparently I need to go and check in on all the businesses. Dad's in China at the moment, so he can't do it himself._ And _ I need to find a caterer for the inn's opening. I'm going to have a fun week, _not_."

Caterer?

"Mikhail will do it! He's fantastic at cooking – you've tasted his food as well, so you know I'm not lying!" I said suddenly, pouncing on the opportunity.

"That's actually not a bad idea. It would save me the effort of looking for someone else; and I know that the food here is great." Kristoff replied excitedly. This guy was all about shortcuts when it came to his Dad's business. He stuck his hand out for Mikhail to take. "How about it? We'll pay you well, of course."

Mikhail stared at the hand outstretched for him to take suspiciously. "We're a café not a catering company." He replied harshly. Feodora snorted- in a very unladylike fashion I might add- and shook Kristoff's hand for Mikhail.

"What a coincidence, just 10 seconds ago, I decided we should expand the business into catering as well as a café." She said, elbowing Mikhail sharply as he was about to interrupt. Kristoff chuckled with the promise that he'd send someone over tomorrow to talk about the menus, and left promptly.

"Feodora!" Mikhail grumbled once he was sure Kristoff was out of earshot. "What was that about? Catering?"

"Yes! Catering! We could use the money…and Kristoff is a lovely young man. Besides, we've had this café for almost twenty years. Don't you think we should do something new every once in a while?" she reasoned.

"Well sure- but can we really trust that man? He was working in a pawn shop the other day, and now all of a sudden he's rich! If that's not fishy, then I don't know what is!" Mikhail exclaimed as he angrily stomped off to his room. Feodora gave me a knowing look before rushing after him.

I knew Feodora would get her way. Feodora knew it and so did Mikhail. Usually he accepted the fact without question, but the fact that he, all of a sudden, decided to make a deal out of things spoke volumes about how he felt. He was scared. About the future. And about the café. This would work though. I knew it. Nika's cries brought me out of my deep thought. I picked him up, singing softly. I didn't want the others to wake up.

"What's wrong my angel?" I cooed, holding him to my chest. "Look." I added, walking over to the window. "It's a balloon." I slid the window open and let in the cool night air so we could get a better look at the balloon. It was red, in the shape of a heart, and currently stuck in the branches of a tree. I was surprised it hadn't popped already. Nika stopped crying, leaning in towards the breeze.

"So you were hot." I mumbled removing the outer layer of his clothing. I put Mikhail down and headed over to my closet. I took out my night clothes and slipped into them quickly. My eyes found their way back to the cot and I watched my children for a while as I sat in my bed. I couldn't yet work out who they looked like. At the moment they just looked like three bundles that were so beyond anything else I had ever experienced, that I couldn't tell if they had my nose. Or if they smiled like me, or what colour their hair was. Maybe they would be allergic to coffee like me. Maybe they'd hate eggs. I didn't know. The only thing I knew was that they were the most beautiful things I'd ever seen, they were my children, and they had my eyes. I closed my eyes and laid back. For a moment; one solitary, pathetic moment, I imagined that Sirius was here, standing by the cot blowing bubbles and watching happily as the triplets gurgled back at him. I imagined him kiss their foreheads lovingly and then make his way to bed. He'd kick of his slippers and curl up beside me like a dog and yawn something about waking him up when the kids needed feeding and fall asleep. I let a tear…just one tear fall before I forced them back. I opened my eyes just as a gust of wind brought the balloon I had forgotten all about, into the room. I got up and caught it in my left hand. There was a tiny bit of weathered paper attached to the ribbon string. I uncurl it and make out the words: _I love you. _ I smile sadly, imagining it slipping out of the delicate hands of a blue-eyed love struck girl as she passionately kissed her lover. I sighed. At least there is someone out there who was loved.

POPOPOPOPOP

Sooo….What did you think? Is it good? Did you like it?

Please tell me. I have exams right now, so I'm severely depressed….a review would make me happy!


	23. Dinner, Favours and Birthday Parties

*ducks and takes cover*

Wow…this update is a lliiiitttle bit late. I'm sorry. I know, I know…I was meant to upload some more stuff…but I was struggling with where to go with this. I mean I pretty much knew the storyline when I first started writing chapter one, but it's different actually sitting down and writing it. So, here you go. Please enjoy it and PLEASE REVIEW! I _really_ would like to reach 100 reviews! Pwease, pwease, pwease make my wish come true?

*ahem* enough of that. So, here it is: chapter 26!

CHAPTER 23:

PETER P.O.V:

I was the first to arrive; as usual. My old friends had busy lives, with important jobs, children and a whole system of 'stuff' that got in the way of pretty much everything. It had been a good month or so since I'd seen James, Lily or Remus. Moony was busy being a Professor at Hogwarts . Not to mention the fact that he was working on a charity for rehabilitating those affected by lycanthropy. The rest of us Marauders had agreed to chip in enough money so that he could get started and so what he really wanted to do. It was coming along nicely. He'd already gotten the planning permission for a hospital dedicated to werewolves and specialist research. Construction was scheduled to start next Monday.

And Lily and James. James and Lily. Well, James had a job in the Ministry. He was an Auror. A good one at that. He was sure to be promoted to head of office soon. Lily was a Healer. It fit her. She was naturally motherly and had this special comforting presence. She saw the good in everyone. _Almost_ everyone. Between their demanding occupations and doting on Harry and Christina- the latest addition to the family- the two barely had time for me. Plus there was the fact that Lily still harboured a _lot _of resentment towards me. She'd never say it out loud though. She was too kind. I doubt James has even realised that his Wife hated one of his best friends. For someone so intelligent, he really is clueless.

And then… there was Padfoot. I hadn't seen Sirius in almost a year; he was always whizzing off to some place or another for work. Well. He said it was for work. I reckon he's just been fooling around with Marlene. Again. Their on off relationship was so confusing, I'd given up trying to figure out what was going on. His broom company was immensely successful- of course…it's Sirius Black we're talking about. But, even if I hadn't seen him in almost a year, the last letter he sent me still contained the ghost of Adelaide, who I was certain, would never give up the place in his heart that she held.

And me? I was the ever tag-along Marauder. I mean I had a business. Zonko's. I went and worked there after the war. When Mortimer- the old owner died, I took over. It's a good job. I'm surrounded by happy people constantly. It takes your mind of things. But I've always been separate from it all. I used to think that I had it all; being friends with James and co. I used to feel like I was a Marauder. Really. But after…that time, I realised I'm different. I have always been standing on the edge of their little circle looking in. The fact that I was part of…that whole mess with You-Know-Who and _Adelaide,_ it's just made me even more different. In a weird kind of way, I didn't really care. I enjoyed the company of the others. I didn't need to be on an equal level as them…not really. I think the thing- the person- that I needed, was already long gone. Thirteen years ago, I let Adelaide Petrova leave. At the time, I'd been angry. I called her a traitor and I had let Sirius make her take that stupid vow. We didn't even give her a chance to explain. We'd just made her leave.

Thirteen years later and the idea that she's never going to come back ever again still gets me. It clenches like iron fury in my stomach. It makes me want to lash out at my friends…most of all at myself. Adelaide loved me. Not in the way that she loved Sirius… but like a brother. She listened to me. She trusted me. Everyone keeps saying that she used me and made a fool out of me. I believed that at some point. There is nothing to prove it otherwise…but I just _know_ that we don't know the full story. She didn't betray us. The more I think about it the stranger it seems. Those last few weeks she was pale and thin. She hardly ate. She was there in person but not in mind. The things she made me do…it just didn't fit in with who she was. I'd already told the others my theory; that she was under an imperious curse. They all told me I was insane in various degrees of anger. Remus was the only one to sit me down and calmly talk to me. The others, not least of all Sirius, were furious. Needless to say, my motives and actions were under intense scrutiny for months. Even now there is still an element of mistrust. I suppose I should leave…stop doing this to myself and just find some other friends. It's weird though. If I do that, I feel like I'll lose the only thing that I have left of Adelaide.

I miss her.

I mean _really_ miss her. I think of her before I go to sleep. Under my bed, I have a stack of letters that I've written to her. I do that a lot. When I'm sad, or stressed…or happy, I write her a letter. I ask here how her day's been. I tell her about mine. I always tell her I miss her and about how much I can't wait to see her again. I tell her about Sirius and how much he loves her. How he's confused and didn't mean it; I know he's being a prat at the moment, but that's because he misses her too. I ask her to come back because Mum's still in the hospital and the Healer keeps telling me she's not going to make it for much longer. I ask her what I'm going to do on my own…how am I going to cope?

Some nights I hold the letters to her in my hand, hugging them close to me as I fall asleep. I always dream of her. Her smile always makes everything disappear.

I'm pulled out of my sad reminiscences as I notice James and Lily walking towards me. I stand up and offer my hand to James who ignores it and pulls me into a man hug instead.

"How have you been, Pete?" he asks, pleased to see me. And he is, I think. He misses the old times…the carefree times. I just happen to be a part of that.

I smile and return his hug. ""I'm good thanks. How are you guys? And how are Christina and Harry? I heard about the latest Quidditch win from Moony." I reply cheerfully. Lily, I notice, eyes me with veiled irritancy. She pulls me into a very brief hug and offers me the fake compliment of _ you look nice today, Peter. Is that a new suit?_

"We're fabulous, as usual." James told me. He pulled out a chair for Lily and took one himself. "And yes, Harry is fantastic. He gets his skills of the pitch from me, you know." He winked. Lily hit him with a napkin, and grimaced. "And my little Christina is a ball of excitement for Hogwarts."

"Yes. And he was also in the hospital twice last week due to sports related injuries. It's a fun game, I'm sure, I just wish it was less brutal. And of course Christina is going to try and get on the team as quickly as she can! It's a wonder Harry manages to come home in one piece every summer." Lily snipped as James fake yawned.

"What's the point in living life without a little bit of danger? It would be boring otherwise. Anyway…who cares? Where are Moony and Pads? I haven't seen those guys in ages!" he said, just as the remaining Marauders appeared in the restraint. I watched as one of the waiters pointed them in our direction.

"Hey guys." I said as they went round giving hugs. Small talk happened, and then there was silence. Sirius had been gone a long time and everyone was curious. Come to think of it…he was looking a little…strange.

James was the only one brave enough to ask what was wrong.

Sirius…my once bright and larger than life friend sighed. "Marlene left me."

_Oh. This again. _

"Why?! I thought you guys were doing ok?" Lily demanded. Ever since Adelaide had left, Lily had been rooting for what she called Marius. That's a combination of Marlene and Sirius in case you hadn't got that already.

She felt sorry for him I guess and wanted him to be happy….with completely the wrong person. Marlene is and always has been a complete and utter bitch.

Sirius shook his head. "That's what I thought. We were in Paris…having fun…and all of a sudden she's like 'I can't do this anymore'. She literally just got up and left. She said she's never coming back and that she can't be with me."

"Is that it? She didn't say anything else?" James asked…confused. Was it not obvious? Sirius was still infatuated with Adelaide. Marlene didn't want to be second best anymore.

"She asked me where I saw myself in ten years." He replied.

"And what did you reply?" Lily asked, taking a swig of wine.

Sirius took a deep breath clearly not wanting to discuss this topic any further.

"I told her I saw myself as I am now. What's so bad about that?" he answered.

"What's so bad about that?! Sirius! I thought you were going to propose to her!" Lily screamed. She turned so red I couldn't see where her face ended and her hair started. "sorry. " she muttered to the other restaurant goers in embarrassment. The rest of us stared at Sirius, who looked confused, in awe. Propose? Well I hadn't seen that coming.

"Where did you get that idea from? That's ridiculous. _No!_ That is not what I was planning…at all!" he assured us, much to Lily's disbelief.

"Oh come on…I saw the ring." She scoffed.

Sirius' eyes flared with anger.

"You went through my stuff? How dare you? And for your information, Lily, that's the ring I gave to…." She stopped mid-sentanced, embarrassed.

"Adelaide? You told us she hadn't given it back." Remus piped in, making things worse, I'm afraid. Sirius turned slightly pink. He wasn't going to say anything, I realised, until Lily fixed him with a glare so furious even Dumbledore would have been terrified for his life.

"Yes I know. She must have sold it. I found it in a shop somewhere in Germany last year. It's the same ring; I know it. I had it made especially for her…it has the same markings and everything. I don't know why. I just brought it. I was going to throw the stupid thing away." He ran his fingers through his hair distractedly and sighed. "I've got to go." He said and shot out of the restaurant before any of us could stop him.

I sighed as I took in Lily's mortified expression. "You told Marlene about the ring didn't you?" I asked. I knew I should have kept my mouth shut, but after a while, you get tired of keeping quiet and accidently say what you really think.

Lily let loose a feral sounding growl.

"So what if I did, Peter? It has absolutely nothing to do with you!" She stood up, pushing her chair back forcefully, and proceeded to stomp out. James followed quickly, though not before shooting me a half annoyed, half apologetic glance. Remus, meanwhile, shook his head sadly

"What happened to us?" he asked softly, more to himself than me. I stood up and picked up my cloak, wrapping it around myself.

"Adelaide happened." I murmured, not sure if he heard me.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A Month Later ADELAIDE POV

It was the twentieth of June. It was 2.00 pm and my babies would be thirteen in approximately an hour. I say babies. Thirteen hardly constitutes as a baby though, does it?

The house was decorated in bright colours. Every inch of surface area was laden with either food or presents. Guests were milling about, laughing, dancing or chatting and generally having a good time. Feodora and Mikhail were in the garden with the kids in the pool I had constructed for the day. It was a relief them knowing about magic- three magical children spontaneously blowing things up had lead to unavoidable questions. When I had first told them, Feodora was ecstatic. She delighted in even the slightest show of magic and assured me she had no problem whatsoever. Mikhail just shrugged and went back to frying sausages. Kristoff had been harder to win around... His scientific and pragmatic mind disallowed him for a while to allow for the extraordinary. He gave in when I levitated him upside down for an hour though. The triplets had been homeschooled of course; I couldn't bear to part from them for any extended period of time. Plus they had all the friends they could ever want here.

Let me explain where here is. Mikhail, after providing Kristoff with a catering service when the triplets were first born, decided he quiet liked catering. Feodora, given Mikhail's initial, and irrational suspicions, hasn't let the poor man live it down since. Within a year between the three of us, we'd managed to make a pretty good living. Kristoff, wanting to get rid of his Father's inn (he wasn't exactly crazy about inns and felt he had bigger fish to fry.) sold it to Mikhail. Feodora dealt with the image, Mikhail was the cook and I did all the paperwork. We weren't rich by any means, but we were happy.

Even with the help of Mikhail, Feodora and Kristoff, who dote on my children almost as much as I did; raising them was hard work. At first I tried breast-feeding. That didn't last long…three hungry children in the middle of the night and breast-feeding one at a time does not work. It does however, result in lots of screaming. I remember one time I hadn't been able to sleep in like four days. I just gave up. I had Petra in my arms and Nika and Nate were crying in their cot. The Business was still as much as a baby as my children were and I was so tired. I had told myself I wouldn't think of Si-of Hogwarts. I was going to move on. But it had been so hard. I wanted to curl up in a ball and just sob my heart out. And I did. I think I would have just…died right there purely because I didn't have the strength to go on anymore. But that's the curious thing about being a mother. Often, your kids are the ones stressing you out to within an inch of your life. But even when you are so down that you've forgotten which colour the sky is, one cry of pain is enough to make you pull your head out of your arse and carry on fucking going, because for some crazy reason, you love them more then you love yourself. More than you hate yourself. I found the stubborn unwillingness to back down and let life take the gold medal and win the game in my children. And I found joy, at long last, in their smiles and laughter. I found the piece of paradise I had been searching for in their eyes. And I found peace in the very air they breathed. I may have given birth to them; I may have fed and clothed them. I may have loved them more than they could ever love me, but in a thousand ways, they had saved me.

Yes. Everyone was happy. And as I watched my angels from the kitchen window running about causing chaos, as they generally did, the palms of my hand became sweaty and my throat became all of a sudden, rather too dry. I tried swallowing. It did not help.

"Alina, you're whiter than you were when you were in labour. What's wrong?" I turned to see the twinkling smile of Kristoff. He was clad in his, now usual, attire of a black suit.

"I was hoping to catch you on your own. I….I have a favour I'd like to ask you."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It was only after the party had finished, and that took a _long_ time, that I was able to ask Kristoff what I had wanted to. Once he had agreed, it took all of my courage to approach the triplets. They looked so happy. The three of them were huddled around the fire stuffing their face with yet more cake. I couldn't understand how they could eat so much and yet remain so thin. Heck, I couldn't understand how they could physically consume that much in one sitting. They made eating look professional. Just like…their Father.

"Mamma, if you keep staring at me like that, you're going to burn a hole." Petra managed to say, mustering up some sarcasm. I smiled uncomfortably.

"I need to speak to you. It's important." Three sets of stormy grey eyes turned to look at me. They were definitely the offspring of Sirius Black. It was eerie, the resemblance I mean, between them and their Father.

"What is it?" Nate asked, apprehensive. He was a worrier.

"I want you to know that I am very proud of you. And I love you…more than you will ever know." I began, my heart feeling heavy.

Nikolai came to me and wrapped his arms around me. "We love you too." He told me, making me smile. "You're the best Mamma anyone could ever hope for."

"I know you love me. But I am not your only parent- please don't say anything." I added just as Nate was about to explode into angry fits of hate for Black. I hadn't taught them to hate him. It's just, when they saw me struggling, when they saw other fathers and when they saw how lonely I sometimes was, they automatically hated him. "Your Father and me…we didn't work for reasons that you won't understand and I can't explain. That doesn't give you reason to hate him. He doesn't even know that you're alive. If he did, he'd love you with everything he has. Believe me- he's not a bad person- it's just that he made really stupid mistakes. So did I. But you three…" I cried now "…you three are beyond all of that. You deserve to know your Father. I can't force you if you don't want to. I do want to give you the chance to meet him though…to let him love you." I sniffed gently and accepted the tissue Kristoff offered me with gratitude. "Thanks." I murmured and took out an envelope from my pocket. I placed it on the tea table, and stood up. "In here are four plane tickets to England and the address of someone who can lead to your Father. It leaves tomorrow at 10.30pm. If you want to go, Kristoff will go with you. If you don't, well, just leave the tickets there and we can forget about it until you decide you do want to see him, if you ever do. This is completely up to you guys. I respect your decision, whatever it may be." I pulled each of my children into my arms and pressed a kiss on their foreheads. "I will love you no matter what you choose. Just, don't deprive yourself of a Father, a loving parent, just because you fear hurting me. I just want you to do what makes you happy." With that, I left the living room to find solace in my bed. I did not sleep that night.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Somehow, I managed to restrain myself until six before I was out of bed and searching for clues as to what my children had decided. As I turned into the kitchen, I was both happy and depressed by the fact that the kids were sat there, munching on toast and chatting with Mikhail and Feodora. When she saw me, Feodora smiled and brought me a plate piled with food.

"Eat up, Zaichik." She said and added in a whisper… "You know your children would never leave you." I replied with a small sad smile. They would _never_ leave me. They didn't want to hurt me.

For some reason…the weight in my chest just doubled in size.

Something bad was going to happen.

Sooooo….what did you all think? Please review! PLEASE! When I get reviews, I get notifications via e-mail on my phone and feel guilty when I haven't uploaded anything in a while…so you guys know what to do- tell what you think about the story…what you think will happen and what you want to happen!


	24. I am the poor sod

CHAPTER 24:

Sirius P.O.V

If you smile, even when you don't mean it, over and over again, until you feel like your jaw is going to fall off, eventually you fool yourself into thinking that you're fine. Happy even. Today is _not_ one of those times though. Standing in my muggle suit, which might I add are stiff in all the _wrong_ places, smiling at people as they mill in through the entrance doors, I really wish I could stab myself. Unconsciously, my hand moves to the place where I had once been stabbed, completely by accident…

_No. You told yourself you would stop thinking about…_

"Good Evening, Mr Sortov, Mrs Sortov- and who is your -" I say as a group of three approach me.

"Mr Black; as per usual, it is a pleasure to see you again. Please, let me introduce you to my nephew…" I blanked him out, instead deciding to grumble inwardly about how I couldn't use magic. It's my own stupid fault I guess, for being adamant on broadening out to the muggle world. We supply designer sportswear, you know. And today, we're having a party for all of our major buyers.

I smile at the Sortov's and nod here and there, pretend I'm listening, and then move off to find someone more interesting to mingle with.

I grin when I see James and Peter in the crowd heading towards me.

"Men!" I boom and pull them both into man hugs. James was acting slightly awkward…possibly because of my little dinner-time tantrum a couple of months ago. Peter however, seems totally at ease. He's definitely grown into his own personality. No more desperately following people around or sucking up to me or James just so that he can hang out with us. I have a feeling that it's not long before Peter just ups and leaves. I think he's just tired of Lily's shit. Not that James had ever noticed. Lily Potter, nee Evans, is still the centre of his universe. "How are things?" I ask.

"Fantastic!"James grinned, his previous shyness vanishing, patting me on the back. "The food here is great. Speaking of food-" he trailed of as he followed a waiter loaded with canapés and other goodies. Peter smiled, and remained silent.

"Enjoying yourself?" I asked, grabbing two drinks from a nearby waiter. I handed one to him and took a sip of my own.

"More than you, I daresay." Another change that Peter had undergone, all of a sudden, he was really good at reading people.

"Well this is work for me…just a night out for you guys."

"True." He said, looking directly in the eyes. His seemed sad.

"I…should mingle." I told him, anxious to get away from him. I don't know why…but the way he was looking at me scared me. Like he knew something that I didn't. He nodded and I walked away, with my back turned towards him. I kept feeling like I was letting him down.

I made my way to the buffet table and picked up another glass of champagne. I downed it one gulp and picked up another glass. _This is going to be a long night. _ From across the room, a guy called Graham Nelson waved, beckoning me over. I swapped my empty glass for a full one and sighed. I had nil motivation for this today. Walking over, I plastered yet another fake smile on my face and welcomed the man. His thick, grey moustache was so large that I was scared it would fall off his face soon. And he looked _drunker_ than I was.

"Sirius! My good friend! How are you? It's been almost two years since I last saw you! " He latched his beefy arms around me. I staggered slightly under his weight and only just managed to prop myself up against the wall.

"Graham, how much did you drink? You're completely wasted…" I groaned. "Hey…you there…get some help! I think he's passed out!" I said to a waiter who was passing. He nodded shyly and hurried of to get someone.

People around us started staring. If Graham Nelson wasn't so rich, I had a feeling that people would have started talking. As it was, he was rich-filthy rich- so although they were staring at his less than sober state, nobody commented. It felt like forever had passed when the waiter reappeared, backed by four other young men. They quickly prised Nelson's arms from around me and managed to pull him away.

The relief that flushed through me was evident on my face. So was my shock when a tall, slim figure made its way towards me.

"Marlene." I whispered, as she reached me, her voluptuous curves swaying as she came to a stop. Her hair, as ever, was swept into an immaculate half up, half down style, and her dress left little to the imagination. I squinted my eyes and tried to figure out, in that tiny moment where neither of us were talking, how I felt about this woman.

"What are you doing, Sirius?" she asked in her husky tone. I shook my head and swallowed.

"I was…nothing. Let me get you a drink." I left here there for a minute whilst I retrieved a glass of golden liquid for her and myself. I drank mine before I even got to her.

"Thanks." She said taking the glass.

We stood there for a while awkwardly.

"How have you been?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"I've been…good. You?" she seemed annoyed by this answer.

"Fine!" she snapped, downing her drink.

I took a deep breath. "About…us." I began, catching her attention. "Lily told me that you were expecting…well she told me she found a ring."

"That's what she told me too." Marlene's eyes watered slightly. "She told me that you were going to-"

"Propose."

"Yeah. Propose. Why else would you have a bloody ring?" she snipped, her voice wavering.

"It was…Adelaide's." I answered quietly. I looked up to find Marlene's face contort into an angry ball.

"Petrova? So you mean to say that you kept the ring that you gave to Petrova under your pillow for all these years? Whilst you were with me? " She was pissed. Very _pissed_.

"It wasn't like that. I'm not with her anymore. _She left_. I haven't seen her in _years_."

Marlene scoffed at my pleading and shook her head. I didn't even understand why I was pleading with her in the first place. Marlene was…she was just a casual…well _you know_…I didn't even like her that much.

"Is that by choice, or is that because she left and you don't have a bloody clue where the hell she is? That's why you can't stay in one place for more than a few months. You are always looking for her. Do you think I can't tell?" she said, tears streaming down her face. Marlene was fake. That was her style. But right now…she looked _genuine_. "All this time…I stuck it out because I _loved_ you. All this time, I stood by you, because I thought that one day, you would stop running after her and you'd look at me. But it's never going to happen. I thought you were going to ask me to marry you. Because you loved me. And you knew that. You knew I loved you. And you knew that you would never feel the same way about me. But you lead me on." The accusation in her voice stabbed me repeatedly. She was right. I used her.

I had nothing to say. Even though she was waiting…hoping for me to tell her it was a lie and that I loved her…but I had nothing to say. She shook her head and turned away from me. She squared her shoulders and said a small "goodbye" before walking out of life, for what I suspected, was forever.

For the first time ever, Marlene made me feel ashamed of myself. Like I had promised her something, but had somehow fallen short of that standard. She knew it wasn't serious. She knew that we were just a bit of fun to fill the lonely nights. So why did it end up like this? Why is she broken hearted and now running through the crowded ball room, trying to get as far away from me as possible? And why was my chest aching as my mind cradled a nostalgic feeling I couldn't quite recognise?

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

I had planned on going straight home after the party finished. That was until a leggy blonde invited me to another party going on in one of the luxury suites in the hotel. Of course, James insisted on tagging along- it wasn't often that Lily let him out on his own- and by default, Peter was also dragged along. I have no idea why James wanted to come though. It wasn't like he'd do anything fun…probably, he's spend the night drunk, telling some poor woman who just wants a one night stand how much he loves his wife.

The only reason I was going was because I needed to let some steam out. And a leggy blonde seemed like the perfect way to do that. That was, of course, until we got stuck in an elevator. It was all going fine…We were going to head up to the suite, which was on the twenty-first floor, and then we were going to party. Hard. One minute James was rambling on about how he hoped Lily wouldn't be mad, the next, the lights went out and there was a thunderous shaking sound. The Muggle guy in the elevator with us seemed pretty chilled, as if this kind of thing always happened to him, whilst James completely freaked. He jabbed every button he could find before falling in a crumpled heap in one of the corners. We couldn't even apparate because of the Muggle. Said Muggle made a clicking sound, and moments later the tiny room filled with a bright light. It was a torch. I raised my eyebrow questioningly.

"I come from Russia. This sort of thing happens all the time." He offered, his voice layered with just the hint of a Russian accent. "You learn to be prepared. We met earlier I think, With my Aunt and Uncle. Sortov?" I thought he looked familiar.

_Great. Fucking great_. I'd have to socialise with him. And pretend like I gave a damn about what he said.

"Is your friend alright?" What's his face asked. I looked a James, he was counting to 10 in his head, I could tell.

"Yeah. He's married to a banshee and he's scared that she'll eat him if he gets home late." I replied nonchalantly, ignoring the indignant huff that came from James. The guy snorted.

"Sirius Black, right?" he asked. I nodded and introduced Peter and James. The latter finally managed to get his shit together long enough to greet the guy.

"Can't we just apparate and obliviate the Muggle?" James blurted out just as I was about to inquire the name of the Muggle. I swore inwardly…Peter, bless his heart, gave James a _really_ filthy look. I mean, James even recoiled a little bit.

The Sortov's nephew chuckled. "Is that some sort of secret code or something?"

I shook my head and tried to divert his attention. How the hell could James be so careless?

"I'm sorry," I told him "I've seen and talked to so many people tonight that I can't recall your name."

"Not at all. Zukov. Kristoff Zukov."

I smiled pleasantly, not really caring, and spoke some more.

"So what brings you to England?" Peter asked, once I was all out of small talk.

This guy…Kristoff, he smiled like this was just what he wanted to be asked.

"That's a good question. It's a long story. And I'd have to start at the beginning." He said. I nearly groaned. This would surely be dull and boring…just like his Uncle.

"Well we're stuck in an elevator…you might as well tell us." James huffed, evidently bored.

"Well, it started thirteen years ago. At the time, I was going through this phase where I wanted to be independent. I left home for a year and opened up a pawn shop. And there was this one day, I was with a customer and this woman is standing by the door, too scared to come in. Now the guy I was with was trying to sell me a piece of junk for more than it was worth halved. I tell him that it's not worth 9000 rubels. He gets angry and he leaves.

I tell the lady- who is as big as a house…as a mansion- to come in."

James groaned. "I take it back. Shut up!" Kristoff Zukov does not take offence. He merely waits for James to pipe down and continues his story.

"So he leaves and the woman hands me a ring. It's huge. More money than I had to buy it from her. And I tell her this. She's pretty annoyed. Then, out of nowhere, Marco, the guy who I had just sent on his way, comes running in with these gangsters. He has a gun and the others start smashing taking anything that is worth anything. Meanwhile, Marco has a gun pointing at us, with the promise of a bullet through the head if we so much as open our mouths. The lady, she's terrified. She started swearing at herself, getting all worked up. I tried to comfort her- this kind of thing isn't unusual, after all for a pawn shop.

And then, like an idiot, Marco asks her if she's peeing herself. She goes crazy and screams that her water's broke."

"She was Pregnant?" Peter offers.

"Yeah. She was pregnant. So Marco, being the coward he is, calls the other out and they make a run for it. The only problem is…they cut all the phone lines. I'm about to run for help, and she tells me there's no time."

"So what happened then?" James demands, interested suddenly. Zukov smiled, as if remembering something.

"She made me deliver."

"And you knew what you were doing?" I asked.

"Hell no! She told me what to do." The man chuckled. Meanwhile, I was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"I don't understand what that has to do with you coming to England." I said, confused as to where this, albeit interesting, story was going.

He chuckled again and told me to be patient.

"She named me Godfather after that. We've been best friends ever since. And a week ago her son asked me for a favour." We all leaned in, intrigued. "He, wants to meet his Father…if only once. But, although she said she's happy for him to do so if he wants, he couldn't quite bring himself to come to England, in case his Mother does get upset. Instead, he asked me to find his Father for him. You see, I have come to England, to tell someone that they are a Father."

_Whoa._ Good luck to the poor sod who gets that new-

"Adelaide."

Both James and me snap our heads up and stare at Peter.

"Adelaide." He repeats. "Her name is Adelaide Petrova, isn't it?"

Zukov smiles and looks at me.

"You know, I thought it would be really hard finding you. But as soon as I saw you I knew it was you. Congratulations Sirius Black…_You_ are a Father."

I am the poor sod.

There was a deadly silence.

My hands fell to my sided and my insides squelched together, like I was apparating, though I was not. Father. Me.

Oh God.

Oh God.

What am I going to do.

I have a kid.

What was his name?

A Son.

What was his favourite colour?

His favourite food?

I have a son. Oh wow. A son.

James, as ever, rambled incessantly, whilst Peter remained silent. Zukov took something from his pocket and handed it to me. I took it and unfolded the piece of paper. It was a picture. A birthday, judging by the banners in the background. _Happy Thirteenth Birthday!_ There were four people in the picture. One, the ever familiar face of Adelaide Petrova. She was older…more beautiful, but tired. Like life had drained her of the vibrancy she had had the last time I had held her in arms and told her that I loved her. Her smile was broad, even though her eyes were weary. Next to her were three kids, two boys, one girl, all of them the same age, beaming, and looking exactly like me. I looked up at Zukov.

"Triplets. The one on the left...his name is Nikolai. There, next to him is Petra. Next to Adelaide there is my namesake; Nathaniel Kristoff. They're wonderful children."

"Triplets." I almost sobbed. "I have three children. And I've never been told about them till now? Why? Why the hell has she waited this long? " I demanded furiously.

"Something about not being able to?" he replied. "I wasn't told the specifics. You've always been a touchy subject."

_The ring! The ring! She sold it…that's why I caught up with it in Germany! _

"I don't care. Take me to them. Take me to my children! NOW!" I roared, feeling like I'd been betrayed all over again. How could she do this to me?


	25. Despite Everything

CHAPTER 25:

Sirius P.O.V

"Abraham…you can let us out now." Kristoff, if that was really his name, said aloud. Almost instantaneously the lift came to life, and the whole mechanism whirred into action. So he'd planned it all.

"Go home, get some things together and meet me here." Kristoff handed me a piece of paper with an address on it. "We'll take my private jet to Russia. I'll let you see them once we get there, and I get a chance to talk to Adelaide."

I growled at this.

"Well that's not good enough! Take me there now! Thirteen years! Thirteen years! I've done my waiting." I roared, picking the Russian up by his collar.

"Yes. Thirteen years you've waited. All for you to ruin it by running in there, scaring the hell out of everyone, drunk, looking rough as hell, and stinking of alcohol." Kristoff spat. I put him down, my chest rising and falling like I had a bird trapped in me or something. "You are their Father, but I was there when they were born. I've watched them grow up. I don't care about how much you've waited. I don't care how much you want to see them. And I really don't care about how angry you are. I care about the three children that I have come to love. They deserve to know their Father. A decent one. So go home. Have a shower, sober up and meet me at the address with your stuff. Ok?"

Russians are angry people. At any rate...he was right. This wasn't about me. It was about my kids. I nodded reluctantly.

"I'll be there in two hours." I said before apparating to my flat in London.

I still could not believe that I was a dad.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When I arrived at my flat, I threw a bunch of stuff into a suitcase. Two consecutive CRACK sounds told me that James and Peter had followed me. Of course.

"Pads…don't tell me you're actually just going to just _go_ with this guy! Even if you do have children and this isn't a trick…Petrova tried to kill Harry."

I turned as James entered my room, taking in the mess I had made. I couldn't believe him.

"I have children. Three of them. It's not a trick. I know it. And I'm going to find them and bring them home. They belong with me." I said, dismissing the fact that I didn't have any proof for any of this. I just _knew_.

"Of course! If they exist, they should be with you. No one is disputing that. The issue is the fact that Adelaide Petrova is a criminal and she is _dangerous_. What if this is a trick? We need to go in prepared! It's insane not to! Let's talk about this." James attempted to reason with me. I paused my frantic bag packing and looked up at him.

"Oh…so you wanna talk about her _now_? After _thirteen_ years, James? You want to talk about her _now_. Where the hell were you _thirteen_ years ago, when I needed a fucking friend? I have been with you through everything! I was there when you got married to Evans…when Harry and Christina were born. I was there when your Dad died. I held your fucking hand! And when Adelaide…when she…you just left me. _For an entire year!_You turned your back on me for a year, when I gave her up because I put you and your family above her. So what if she's a criminal? I could have been with my kids. I gave up my kids, even if I didn't realise it at the time. So don't you dare tell me you want to talk about it." I retorted, slowly getting louder and louder, until I was screaming at him. James backed down and retreated to the living room. Meanwhile I stripped down and marched purposefully to the bathroom.

Once I was showered and groomed, I lifted the now packed, haphazardly admittedly, suitcase, and strode into the living room. Only Peter remained. It was almost two in the morning.

"Where's James?" I asked. Peter moved his hands from his face and looked up. His watery eyes were tired, and his expression was one of utter exhaustion.

"He went to go and get Dumbledore. I couldn't stop him." He replied. I grimaced. I needed to move fast. I wanted to see my kids before Dumbledore could get involved. I mean I trusted the man with my life…but I couldn't wait. I wouldn't wait.

"When-"

"About ten minutes ago. If we hurry, we can be on that plane and in the air before they even get here." As I said this, I noticed the overnight bag that lay at Peter's feet. He noticed me stare at it. "I apparated home just now and got it. I'm coming with you. I'll see you there." With that, he got up, flung his bag around his shoulder and apparated out with a loud CRACK. The only thing I could do was follow suit.

After the sickening sensation of apparating faded, I made out the large tin creation that stood amidst the roaring sound of an engine. It was a plane. Some way off, Peter stood, talking to Zukov. I ran over to them quickly.

"Apparently, he's coming with us?"

"Apparently."

Zukov nodded, accepting this change in plans, and indicated that we follow him.

Anxious that James and Dumbledore not get here anytime soon, I hurried along, and only felt relative ease when we were airborne.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Exactly two hours, fifty three minutes and forty nine seconds later, when we reached Russia, Zukov took us to his home on the outskirts of Moscow. He told us that we had to stay put for a few days…that Nikolai, my son, wanted to wait a few days to see me. He wanted to explain everything to Adelaide first. Whilst this was far from what I had planned, it allowed me some time to think. Everything had happened so fast. I mean…I have kids. I'm a dad. Whilst the world hadn't changed even the slightest bit, it seemed like I was no longer me…or rather, I had lived my entire life as someone else, and only when I had realised that I had children, did I truly become _me_. And then…then there was _Adelaide_. I had loved her so much. Maybe even now, I wouldn't be able to be completely unaffected by her when I first saw her after all these years, but she was…bad. She had tried to kill Harry. She had left me heartbroken. She had kept my children from me. I needed to think of a way to take them back to England. From what Zukov tells me, they love her. It would be hard to get them to leave. But I had to. It was in everybody's best interests. I just had to bide my time.

Two days later, James, Lily, Dumbledore and Remus showed up. They had, apparently, utilised every resource in tracking down Zukov, and had even managed to secure Adelaide's address. It was true, she did have triplets. Not that I needed any proof. I already knew. That night I had fought with everyone. I wanted to see Adelaide and my kids that day. There was no point waiting. Zukov didn't think she was ready. The others wanted to be prepared for an attack. In the end, I was out numbered and had to do as I was told. It didn't matter in the end.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

ADDY POV

I knew the morning after the triplets' birthday that something was going to happen. When I finally realised that the tickets were gone and Nikolai couldn't look at my face, I grew suspicious. When Feodora notified me that all of a sudden Kristoff had needed to go on a business trip I grew even more apprehensive. A quick call to his secretary confirmed it; he had gone to England. Sirius Black was coming to Russia.

So here I was, sat at the kitchen table, nervously eyeing the telephone. I had to call him.

I dialled the number with shaky hands and held the phone to my ears.

The ring, ring, ring of the line felt endless.

"Hello. You have reached Zukov House. Alexi Semenov speaking, how may I help you."

"Alexi. Hi. Is Kristoff home yet?" I asked quietly.

"He arrived three days ago. Shall I put him on-" Alexi began.

"Yes please." The line was silent for a minute before I heard a fate buzz.

"Alina? Hello?" I heard Kristoff say, sounding on edge.

"Hello. Why didn't you tell me you were going on a business trip?" I replied, sounding, even to myself, cheery.

There was a pause.

"Kristoff?"

"Oh yeah…sorry about that. It was a last minute thing. I had to go and see my Uncle. I just got back this morning."

_Liar._

"But Alexi said you got back-"

"I mean, Moscow. I got back to Moscow this morning. I got back to Russia Saturday. I had to go and…"

"Do some stuff? Well, it doesn't matter. You should come around. I'm worried. Nikolai is acting strange." I could almost hear him sweating through the phone. He paused for a while. A _very long_ while. I was, just a tiny bit, enjoying this.

"Well….he's just kid- they do all kinds of crazy-" _It's time to move things along _

"Really? Do they lie to their Mother's about sending family friends off to England to find their long lost father and bring him back to Russia?" I cut across him in a matter of fact tone.

"You knew?" he replied incredulously.

"_Yes I knew_. Whilst you may think I am an idiot, I am not. It wasn't hard to work out. Missing tickets…phone calls in the middle of the night and an impromptu business trips without so much as a call…_nevermind_ the blatant lying."

"Adelaide. I'm sor-" he began.

"Spare me the excuses and the apologies. I'm coming over. I think it's time I paid my ex-husband a visit." With that, I slammed the phone down.

"MIKHAIL! I'M GOING OUT! THE KIDS ARE AT GREGORY'S HOUSE, THEY'LL BE BACK IN A FEW HOURS. I MIGHT BE A WHILE SO DON'T WAIT UP!" I yelled, before anyone could reply and shot out the door with a purse.

I jogged a couple of streets before I reached a line of taxi's. I got into the one closest to me and told the driver Kristoff's address. What was usually a half an hour drive took nearly an hour thanks to the ungodly level of traffic that had decided to plague Moscow that day. The whole fifty minute drive to Kristoff's was hell. I kept thinking up different scenarios of what would happen when I got there. I knew he wouldn't he alone. Potter, at least, would have come with him. Dumbledore too perhaps. They'd judge me…of course they would. They still believed me to be a traitor. They thought I tried to kill Harry. It was crazy. I loved Harry. Almost as much as I loved my own kids. And I knew…even then…I should have gone down kicking and screaming; that I should have tried harder to explain, _even if_ I knew it wouldn't have worked. And what would I do when they told the kids that I was a murderer or something…I mean I was- but of the bad guy. I killed Vladaslav. But he was evil. I had to. What if they didn't believe me? I couldn't very well just explain away how I knew that they were going to die and exactly how to prevent their deaths. And even if I told them the truth…who would believe me? Who would understand?

And oh my God. What if…what if when I see _him_, my knees go weak. What if his grey eyes, that know all too much, consume me whole? What if, when I see him, all the blood rushes to my head and I start to see stars. What if the memories of his skin against mine makes me blush every shade of the rainbow? What if I s_till_ love him? What if he breaks my heart all over again? What if, _despite everything_, I am not strong enough to do this?

_It's too late now,_ I think as Kristoff's mansion comes into view. Within minutes the car is through the front gates and comes to an all too fast stop at the main entrance. Kristoff is waiting for me. He rushes forward and opens the door for me, avoiding, what I am sure he knows, is a death glare. Before I can even get in a word edgeways, he pays the taxi driver and sends him on his way. I click my tongue angrily.

"I can pay my own fare." I told him. Of course he ignored me and instead practically flew through the open doors of his home. I followed, dreading every step.

He's taking me to the guest suite. That's where…Black will be. Usually, when I go to Kristoff's mansion, I enjoy it. I take in the art and the magnificent architecture. I marvel at the sheer grandness of it all. But now, with the looming sense of _this-is-happening-now-to-me-ness, _ I can't seem to take anything in. You know, the human brain, it only takes in the important stuff. It ignores everything else. This is kind of like that.

Kristoff stops at the door of the suite and glances at me apologetically.

"Nikolai…he wanted-"

"It's okay. I know. Thank you…for dedicating so much of yourself to my family. I appreciate it." I whispered, almost crying. I think, suddenly, it dawns on him what this really is. Goodbye. He pulls me into a hug.

"You can turn around and leave. I'll take you all somewhere safe. They'd never be able to find you." He said, wiping away my tears with his sleeves. I shake my head and try to smile.

"This is going to be brutal. They…Stuff happened. A long time ago. And I can't explain why I did some things. I did them because I had too. There was no other way. No one else in the entire world understands though. But I did it because I had too. No one else could, so I had too." I whimpered pathetically, for the first time in thirteen years, yearning for someone, anyone to understand me just a little bit. He was trying to…he thought he did, but he didn't. I let go of his hand and wiped my tears. I straightened up and counted to three before pushing open the door.


End file.
